A cat lover turned her house into an animal shelter after adopting 52 stray cats.
Sheena Leigh Cabuyaban, 24, started picking up stray cats while she was studying in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos in the Philippines.
Her tribe of moggies has grown over the years, and when she has a place of her own, she takes them all with her. To keep all felines comfortable, she converted a log cabin into a cat house with the help of a donor so she could accommodate more.
“That’s really my passion,” Hina said. “When I was young, I told myself that as long as I was able to help, I would take care of every stray cat on the street.”
The cat lover said she was amazed by the experience when she first adopted three cats at the age of 11 in 2009, and she kept bringing more cats home.
In 2018, while she was still in college, the animal lover created an online community for cat owners, where she was able to collect donations to support cats in need. The organization became the go-to online destination for adopting, rescuing and helping each other take care of pets and homeless people in the Philippines.
The young man added that she plans to continue advocating to help address the country’s stray animal problem.
“I didn’t expect this to be a big deal for other people. I’m just doing what I love to do. I’m glad others appreciate it. I’ll keep doing it as long as I can help solve the problem of stray animals in this country,” she says.
The Philippines and surrounding developing countries face a widespread problem of stray animals. Studies have shown that animals in Asia are among the most abused animals in the world.