Veteran Willie Ortiz, has a heart of gold. He doesn’t let his age of 76 years stop him from doing all he can for approximately 70 feral cats who would most likely go hungry if he did not prepare and deliver meals to each one every single day. The Hartford, Connecticut man drives his minivan each night starting around
The Hartford, Connecticut man drives his minivan each night starting around 7 PM to several cat colonies in the area. Many of the cats await his arrival and greet him, eager for a meal and clearly trusting and fond of this gentle soul.
When asked why he feeds them every day Ortiz simply says “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.”
Paying for that many meals can be expensive, but that obstacle doesn’t stop Ortiz. He searches for scrap metal to recycle for cash and also sells anything he can find to list for sale on Craigs List.
Ortiz first felt the need to feed feral cats in 1995 when he noticed a cat begging for food from people. He recalls, “People were pushing it away, and I could see it needed help.” Oriz being a Puerto Rican Native explains, “I know these cats can’t understand my accent, but I need to do something.”
In addition to feeding all those cats, Ortiz also carefully watches out for their well being. If one appears sick, he takes it in to get the proper medical care it needs. He also catches via humane traps any new cats that show up and then takes them in to get spayed or neutered in an effort to cut down on the homeless cat population.
With all of these cats to care for, coming and going, one cat that he named Ginger has been with him for 23 years. They share a very special bond.
If you’d like to help Ortiz continue to care for these cats, you can click here to learn more.
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