Woman Braves Cold To Feed Hundreds Of Stray Cats Each Day

With an estimated 150,000 cats and dogs roaming its streets, Istanbul, Turkey, has more strays than its government knows how to handle.

Despite these overwhelming numbers, one woman does her very best to help the city's animals.

Vera, a resident of the city's coastal Kartal district, takes care of the 350 or so stray cats that live on the region's the rocky shore, providing them with the food and medical care they so desperately need.

During the winter, when food is scarce, Vera tries to feed the cats every day, bringing up to 50 lbs. of food down to the water.

Luckily, she doesn't have to endure the frigid temperatures alone, having started a volunteer organization, the Atalar Sahili Cat Neutering Group, to help care for the cats.

Keeping the strays fed, however, is only part of the mission for Vera and her volunteers.

"Apart from this, we pick up sick cats and send them to vet for treatment," a representative told Love Meow. "Last year we sterilized 167 cats. This year we are continuing the effort."

With limited resources, Vera can only help the hundreds of stray cats so much. That doesn't stop her from doing everything she can.

Watch the cats' daily feeding ritual below:

“I’m Not Leaving You, Mama!” This is What Love Looks Like.

UPDATE: Lizzie and Phantom are currently recovering in an outdoor koala ward within the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital . They’re doing swimmingly; Phantom is both gaining weight and exploring his temporary habitat. And of course, mama and baby are sharing more adorable cuddles! For most species in the animal kingdom, the bond between mother and baby is incredibly strong. That's pretty much inarguable. But last week, two koalas in Australia further proved it. After they were hit by a car, Lizzie and her joey, Phantom were welcomed into the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Six-month-old Phantom had escaped the accident unscathed. Lizzie, however, wasn’t looking so good, what with facial trauma and a collapsed lung. In order to survive, she needed to go under the surgeon’s knife. But this marsupial mama wasn’t alone during the life-saving procedure. Phantom accompanied her and clung to her as she received treatment. The vets let them be; Phantom was too y...

The Sound Of This Baby Rhino Wailing After Its Mother Was Killed By Poachers Will Haunt You

It’s one of the most sorrowful sounds you’ll ever hear, but it’s also a sad reality check for anyone who thinks protected species are safe from illegal poaching. In a video released this in July, a baby rhino named Davi cries for his mother after she was shot and killed by poachers. Most rhinos spend at least three years with their mothers before weaning, the Dodo reports, but Davi’s childhood was cut short at just 8 months old. The baby rhino stood close by his mother’s lifeless body until rescuers arrived. They fitted her with earplugs and a blindfold to calm his anxiety on the way to The Rhino Orphanage in South Africa. Source: YouTube/Terrence Daniels Davi huddles close to his mother’s dead body. It was there that Davi spent the night crying. “His calls for mom echoed deeply and urgently throughout the night, but two carers have been with him every step of the way,” caretakers posted . “At least he is in good physical condition [and] has no injuries...

Dead Sea Turtle Washes Ashore With Horrifying Wake-Up Call For All Humans

Smokey the Bear told us we were responsible for preventing forest fires. Crime dog McGruff helped us take a bite out of crime. Woodsy the Owl told us to “Give a hoot, don’t pollute.” It’s that last one humans seem to have a big problem with. Where a wizened old owl’s advice has fallen short, however, the tragic image of a dead Kemps Ridley sea turtle with a beach chair stuck to its back may prove more compelling. An eye-opening illustration of the damage human pollution has done to our oceans, images of this tangled turtle have been sweeping across the internet, first posted by Fort Morgan Share the Beach , a local chapter of the Alabama sea turtle protection nonprofit Share the Beach. The story these pictures tell is a dark one which, wildlife advocate or not, is hard to ignore. Source: Facebook/Fort Morgan Share The Beach The turtle was dead when it washed up onto the shore. “There was a heavy string around the chair that wrapped around the turtle’s neck,”...

Animal Lovers

Search This Blog