Lima, Peru, native Maria Torero makes her living as a private nurse to ailing humans. Outside of work, she doesn’t stop caring for others. Her other patients just happen to have a lot more fur.
Using her own 2-story, 8-room apartment, Torero cares for cats suffering from feline leukemia…175 cats, that is. She takes them in after finding the poor things on the streets. First, she takes them to the vet where (more often than not) they are diagnosed with the fatal illness. The cats often also suffer from flea infestations and malnutrition.
She rarely takes in kittens as the contagious disease would bring their life to a short end, but for the adults already suffering she provides comfort, medication and love.
She even gives each one a name and sometimes a cute little shirt.
Her three children enjoy playing and cuddling with their cute housemates!
When asked why she doesn’t shelter healthy cats, she explains that’s not her role in life.
“I’m a nurse. My duty is to the cats that nobody cares about.”
Her arms show scratches from the cats who aren’t so happy about the injections.
She says each one has their own unique personality.
She receives donations to help with part of the monthly cost, but relies mostly on her day job for the funding.
While the deodorants and cat boxes don’t completely cover their urine smell, she says she hasn’t heard any complaints from neighbors.
(via Huffington Post.)
Cats with this unfortunate diagnosis can live several years, but their lifespan is usually much shorter. Torero’s selfless dedication to giving them as comfortable a life as possible in that time is incredibly heartwarming.
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