Copenhagen - A kitten which jumped into a washing machine unnoticed by its owner survived a 20-minute tumble in piping hot water, a Danish paper reported on Wednesday.

"He was screaming but I could not open the machine," said owner Bianca Marten.

When she finally got three-month-old Sylvester out of the washer he was dizzy and blue from lack of oxygen.

Sylvester recovered after treatment at a veterinary clinic in western Denmark.

But apparently he has still not learnt his lesson as he jumped straight back into the washing machine on returning home.

"Now I will always check he is not there before starting my washing machine," said Marten. - Reuters