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For 22 Years, This Scrap Metal Worker Has Been Feeding Neighboring Cats, Never Missed A Day
Meet Willie Ortiz, a scrap metal collector who has been feeding stray cats for 22 years now, not missing a single day. The 76-year-old man, a veteran and a husband of 52 years from Hartford, Connecticut, provides food to nearly 70 felines. “Presently he feeds 16 colonies of stray and feral cats, a total of 68 cats, every night, 365 days a year and has never missed a night in 22 years,” Kathleen Schlentz said via GoFundMe. “He makes sure they get what they need to have as good a life as possible.”
Ortiz, a Puerto Rico native, started feeding cats back in 1995, after seeing a hungry kitty begging for food. “People were pushing it away, and I could see it needed help,” Ortiz told Courant. The man immediately realized that caring for cats was his life’s mission.
However, not everyone understands his decision. “People ask me why I feed them every day, or tell me I feed them too much,” Ortiz said. “You eat every day, no? You get three meals; they eat once every 24 hours.”
Ortiz says he will continue doing this for as long as he can.
More info: GoFundMe (h/t: lovemeow)
RELATED:
Meet Willie Ortiz, a scrap metal collector who provides food to stray cats on a daily basis
The 76-year-old man, a veteran and a husband of 52 years feeds nearly 70 felines
“He feeds 16 colonies of stray and feral cats, a total of 68 cats, every night, 365 days a year”
In all those years, the man never missed a day, and cats get what they need to have a good life
Ortiz, a Puerto Rico native, started feeding cats after seeing a hungry kitty begging for food
“People ask me why I feed them every day, or tell me I feed them too much”
“You eat every day, no? You get three meals; they eat once every 24 hours”
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Weird Theater Geek 8 years ago
My grandpa has a heated/cooling indoor patio for outdoor cats. They are well fed and he fixes them. They are feral but love him its so cute!
Angelika Nesper 8 years ago
"Feeding the cats is only half of Ortiz's mission, according to Haines. Over the years, Ortiz has brought ailing cats to Haines. Some need a quick booster shot, others need spaying or neutering." You can find the whole article about him in the Hartford Courant.
Melissa Nunya 8 years ago
Thank you for sharing this. I saw the picture with some kitties in carriers above and was wondering if he was having them fixed. Go Willie!
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Anna Salerno 8 years ago
God bless you for your kindness sir. Maybe you could get your local newspaper to do a human interest story about what have been doing. It would be nice if a few of the VETS in your town would do free neutering and spaying to stop the reproduction. Thank you for what you do.
Cláudia Santos 8 years ago
Bless him, may he allways have everything he needs in his life, for he is an angel to the animals!
MadamButterfly 8 years ago
God bless you sir and grant you a long and healthy life,these fur babies need and love you.
Blake Chamberlain 8 years ago
we need people like you in power. people who understand empathy for all living creatures. thanks for brightening my day!
Barbara Baxendale 8 years ago
Good for him, he must get a lot of pleasure out of feeding the strays plus he stops the poor cats from starving to death !!
Maisa Chaves 8 years ago
Fatest looking strays i've ever seen. But of course this is a a great doing. I feed two that have adopted my garden as their own, lol
Cassie 8 years ago
I hope he is able to get them in for spay and neuter, too. I mean, I wouldn't expect him to pay for that, but there are programs and he earns the kitties' trust and can collect them for it. We have several here that just don't realize we would welcome them and I'm having a hard time catching them to get it done, but we still put food out for all the barn cats and feral kitties.
Juan 8 years ago
Nice move... But what about neutering them? Makes more sense than just feeding..
Angelika Nesper 8 years ago
Boredpanda just forgot to mention it: "Feeding the cats is only half of Ortiz's mission, according to Haines. Over the years, Ortiz has brought ailing cats to Haines. Some need a quick booster shot, others need spaying or neutering." You can find the whole article about him in the Hartford Courant.
Load More Replies... Weird Theater Geek 8 years ago
My grandpa has a heated/cooling indoor patio for outdoor cats. They are well fed and he fixes them. They are feral but love him its so cute!
Angelika Nesper 8 years ago
"Feeding the cats is only half of Ortiz's mission, according to Haines. Over the years, Ortiz has brought ailing cats to Haines. Some need a quick booster shot, others need spaying or neutering." You can find the whole article about him in the Hartford Courant.
Melissa Nunya 8 years ago
Thank you for sharing this. I saw the picture with some kitties in carriers above and was wondering if he was having them fixed. Go Willie!
Load More Replies... Anna Salerno 8 years ago
God bless you for your kindness sir. Maybe you could get your local newspaper to do a human interest story about what have been doing. It would be nice if a few of the VETS in your town would do free neutering and spaying to stop the reproduction. Thank you for what you do.
Cláudia Santos 8 years ago
Bless him, may he allways have everything he needs in his life, for he is an angel to the animals!
MadamButterfly 8 years ago
God bless you sir and grant you a long and healthy life,these fur babies need and love you.
Blake Chamberlain 8 years ago
we need people like you in power. people who understand empathy for all living creatures. thanks for brightening my day!
Barbara Baxendale 8 years ago
Good for him, he must get a lot of pleasure out of feeding the strays plus he stops the poor cats from starving to death !!
Maisa Chaves 8 years ago
Fatest looking strays i've ever seen. But of course this is a a great doing. I feed two that have adopted my garden as their own, lol
Cassie 8 years ago
I hope he is able to get them in for spay and neuter, too. I mean, I wouldn't expect him to pay for that, but there are programs and he earns the kitties' trust and can collect them for it. We have several here that just don't realize we would welcome them and I'm having a hard time catching them to get it done, but we still put food out for all the barn cats and feral kitties.
Juan 8 years ago
Nice move... But what about neutering them? Makes more sense than just feeding..
Angelika Nesper 8 years ago
Boredpanda just forgot to mention it: "Feeding the cats is only half of Ortiz's mission, according to Haines. Over the years, Ortiz has brought ailing cats to Haines. Some need a quick booster shot, others need spaying or neutering." You can find the whole article about him in the Hartford Courant.
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