The job of a Peruvian nurse doesn't end when she gets home. But instead of caring for humans, she takes care of cats - at least 175 of them, according to the Associated Press.
Maria Torero, 45, turned her eight-bedroom apartment into a nursing home for cats with feline leukemia five years ago. As expected, the apartment features an abundance of feeding dishes and at least 24 litter boxes, according to AP.
But why?
Torero said "people don't adopt adult cats, especially if they are terminally ill."
So Torero has devoted her life to taking care of cats infected with feline leukemia after she finds them on the streets of Lima and tests them for the disease. And according to AP, that's not too hard of a job since almost all cats on the streets have leukemia, fleas, parasites and are malnourished.
"My best gift of love and respect I give them in life," she said.
And there is a method Torero follows: she only takes in adult cats in order to avoid infecting the younger kittens.
"Bringing a kitten here is condemning it to death," Torero said.
Feline leukemia is spread through direct contact, sharing litter boxes and mutual grooming, though it is harmless to humans, according to the ASPCA.
Not only does Torero give the cats shelter, but she also gives them medicine, sterilizes them and treats them for parasites every two months - all of which are funded by her job as a private nurse and by donations. On average, Torero says she spends about $1,785 each month.
But that's not all. Torero even knits the cats shirts for when it gets cold and they each have their own bunk bed to sleep in, according to Daily Mail Online UK.
There is no cure for feline leukemia and it is estimated that less than 20 percent of cats with the disease survive more than three years after infection, according to the ASPCA.
Torero's cats are forced to die naturally since Torero doesn't have any medicine to put them down, AP reported. But when they do die, there aren't any special ceremonies.
And why would Torero insist on taking care of them herself and not give the healthy cats to a shelter?
"That's not my role. I'm a nurse. My duty is to the cats that nobody cares about," Torero told AP.
