cat house
Maria Torero opened a hospice in Lima for seriously ill cats and cats. The Peruvian did not spare her own funds and living space for the sake of a good cause - the veterinary hospital was located right in her private house. For the past five years, a woman has been helping cats with leukemia. Torero, 45, works as a nanny at a hospital and spends about $1,800 a month on providing for pets (both her own money and donations from philanthropists). Now Maria has 175 wards.
(Total 10 photos)
Photo: Martin Mejia / AP
1. Maria finds wards on the streets of Lima. There are no official statistics on the number of stray cats in Peru, but Maria says there are an incredible number of them.
2. Because of the disease, many cats are malnourished and suffer from anemia. Taking them from the street, Torero feeds the animals, gives them medicines and sterilizes them.
3. The son of Maria Torero, seven-year-old Fabian, loves to play with his mother's wards and even sleeps with them. Their diseases are not dangerous to humans.
4. Maria spends about $1,800 on animals every month.
5. Torero even manages to sew outfits for his pets.
6. To find out what the animal is sick with, Maria takes the foundlings to the veterinarian - he does tests and prescribes treatment.
7. Despite the fact that there are a lot of patients, everyone has a name.
8. Maria's hands are scratched - cats do not like to be treated too much.
9. Half of the amount necessary for the maintenance of cats is provided by charitable donations, the rest of the Torero covers from his own salary.
10. Each cat has its own small bed.