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Louisville, Kentucky-This is the end of the kitten season, which means that the number of stray cats is increasing. 

The homeless near Portland in Louisville may not have a home, but the neighbors there make sure they are full and healthy.

85-year-old Gerrie Hartell was nicknamed "Catwoman" in Portland

If you drive across the neighborhood, you might see Gerrie Hartell walking the catwalk in a harness. 

She recently returned to the neighborhood of Portland after a car accident, and was hospitalized to leave her for a month, just the day before her 85th birthday. 

"That's not a good birthday present, but I'm very happy to be alive," Hartle said.

She longed to return to her friends, and they seemed to miss her as well.

"I can't tell you how much I love them all. I can't begin to explain. You won't understand," Hartle added.

It all started 17 years ago. Twice a day, after Hartell feeds 15 cats in her home, he walks the streets of Portland to feed and care for stray cats. 

She gave each stray cat a name to match their personality. 

Her love for cats is as rich as gold, but her regular income can cover the veterinary bills and cat food for her domestic cats and dozens of stray cats. 

"I think maybe God wants me to do something else, she said." "There is a lot of money, and I am not rich."

The support of the neighbors made it possible. Abigail Shouse has been helping Hartellll for five years. 

Shouse has always loved animals and plans to become a veterinarian before starting a marketing career.

“All the shelters are full and I have nowhere to go, so we just try to do the best for them, provide them with food, and find a warm place for them to sleep at night,” Shouse said. 

Shouse uses recycled and donated coolers, trash bins, straw and styrofoam to provide a warm home for homeless people in cold weather. She wants to earn at least 30 this year.

"My father is a carpenter, so he taught me a lot of things," she said. "Actually, he helped me make the first work I made." 

It takes her a few seconds to turn the cooler into a warm shelter, and it takes about an hour to turn the storage box into a warm shelter. 

Cats are just what the ladies have in common. They are also allergic to feline friends. They take or have taken medication to treat symptoms, but caring for cats during the pandemic has always been a perfect treatment. 

Abigail lost his job in 2020. She regards the time gained to help Hartle as a blessing. 

"I only care about all animals and all things. If there is no one to help them, they will have no one," Shouse said. "I thought, before I came here, I really didn't know what happened to all the abandoned cats."

She moved from Indiana to near Portland 12 years ago.

While Hartle kept social distancing, wanderers stayed with her. 

"I don't know what I did before I had them," Hartell said. "For a year and a half or more, I have been afraid to go anywhere, so I am grateful that I have them." 

Her family thought she could go to a nursing home and save money, but she had no plans to leave the cat or the community where she grew up. 

"I'm very happy. I believe I am indeed doing the mission that God wants me to do. When I go out and can't find one, I say,'Oh my God, you did it, I just feed them. Where are they?' He gave I watched," Hartle said. 

After a full recovery, she will come back to make sure that the cat is loved in 1 of the 9 births she participated in. 

"My family feels that I am in danger, but I am not. The danger is that I fall, but you can fall anywhere," Hartle said.

If you are interested in donating coolers or materials, you can contact Abigail at Helpportlandcats@gmail.com.