Malta’s full to the brim with colonies upon colonies of stray cats who are generously and diligently cared for by communities of cat feeders.

One of these kind volunteers is Mary Catania – a sweet woman from Mosta who’s dead set on helping Malta’s stray cats live the best life possible.

Speaking to The People of Malta, a local artistic project dedicated to shining a spotlight on locals from different walks of life, Mary spoke about the ins and outs of her work as a cat feeder.

Every morning, Mary wakes up early to feed a nearby colony. She returns to the same spot later on in the day to clean up.

“I try and alleviate their suffering. It hurts to see them abandoned. Summer or winter they always have to endure the elements of nature. I am unable to afford keeping them all at home, so I try to make myself useful and help them,” Mary told local Facebook page ‘The People of Malta’.

Mary’s love for cats has always been there, so much so that she had helped raise an impressive 40 cats with her mother.

“Rain or shine, even when I am sick, I go out to feed them. It is a mission to me. I have given all these cats a name and I recognise them all. At the moment I feed and care for around 50 cats,” she continued.

Mary’s sheer dedication means that she doesn’t get to go away on holiday – not even to Gozo – out of fear that the cats will go hungry.

“The first cat I used to care for in this area ended up dying tragically as it was run over by a car. I had cried so much that I did not eat well for a week because I was so heart-broken”, she sadly revealed.

She also went on to thank all the people who help her in her mission such as fellow feeders Jeanina, Margaret Gabaretta, Sarah Abela Bellia and her husband and son.

“How can you not love them when they look at you that way? They are like children. Aren't animals like that?”

“Cats can instantly know who loves them and those who they cannot trust. They have gotten used to me and wait for me to feed them in the morning”

“These cats are constantly in danger especially of being run over by cars. I ask you to drive carefully if you are aware that there are cats around or you see the signs,” Mary concluded.

Facebook/The People of Malta