Willie Ortiz, 76, has been feeding feral cats around Hartford for 22 years. Ortiz, who collects scrap metal to pay for the food, has not missed a day despite rain, snow or freezing cold. Each morning he leaves his home at 6AM with tins of sardines and cat food, feeds the cats, and checks on their health.
There are lovely people in the world plus lots of cats. And that’s what makes the world a little more bearable.
Willie hasn’t skipped a feeding in the last 22 years, and cares for nearly 70 cats in total, feeding them each night as well as spraying and neutering them so the stray population doesn’t grow out of control.
Willie does this alongside his job, which requires him to collect and sell scrap metal whatever the weather, no matter how tired he is, regardless of how difficult it becomes.
He started caring for the cats after he saw people ignoring a hungry kitten begging for food.
Blackie is one of Willie’s nightly regulars.
Willie told Courant that he plans to continue feeding the cats for as long as he can.
Last year Kathleen Schlentz created a gofundme page to raise funds for Willie and help him buy more food for the cats. Not surprising, it surpassed its target, but you can still donate money towards this lovely mission.
We hope people that believe in Willie’s cause will keep donating. The world needs more people like Willie, people that provide daily good deeds to make our world just a little bit better.
(h/t: metro.co.uk)
There are lots of us cat lovers out there doing this sort of thing … we are the unsung hero’s (but we do get a thankful purr every now and then from our fuzzy friends)
I feed a feral tuxedo….
Hoping some day to get to let and cuddle him
Thankyou.
Someone needs to know and ride his route so that once hes unable to feed anymore, that person can take over.
God Bless him, we need more people like him
Thank u very much for saving and taking care of those very beautiful precious angels and so adorable and very gorgeous cats u really have a big heart for those cats and I am sure that they really appreciate you.
I love all animals and each has the right to survive and thrive in this world with us. Our helping these animals is only a reflection of how we feel about ourselves.
I care for daily over 30 cats and they are each so very special and loving.