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.

Click here to visit the Atalar Sahili Cat Neutering Group's website or watch the cats' daily feeding ritual below: