CHICAGO (AP)—Rosemary Banks has opened her heart and her home to about 80 abandoned, abused cats—and an occasional needy dog.

“When I’m out at night and I’m cold, it just about kills me to think about all of the animals out there on the street,” says Ms. Banks, a one-time movie actress who now teaches drama for the Chicago Park District.

“There really aren’t any agencies to help (abandoned) cats and dogs. They just die out there,” she says.

Ms. Banks, 56, isn’t sure exactly when or how she started rescuing imperiled felines. But she has turned her home into a licensed shelter and adoption agency for homeless cats.

“You empathize with them. I sure wouldn’t want to be out on the street on a cold night with no food to eat and no place to go. You just find yourself rescuing them and feeding them. I guess I’ve just always done it—all my life.”

Inside her two-story house on Chicago’s North Side live four dogs—including an abandoned collie that recently had pups—and about 80 cats awaiting adoption.

A bedroom off her kitchen serves as a nursery for kittens, its walls lined with cages. Downstairs, one side of her basement has become an isolation and sick ward where cats fresh off the street are nursed back to health.

A swinging wire mesh door opens onto the main shelter room where about 40 black, brown, tan, white and turquoise cats romped, ran, climbed, meowed, ate and slept.

Ms. Banks has named about 40 of the cats and has a story to tell about nearly each one.

There’s the one named Joe Garagiola because he was found in a garage. There’s Pink Floyd, named for his pinkish color and found abandoned on a college campus. And there’s Hero, who was hit by a car but kept protecting his mate’s kittens and prowling the streets to find them food.

She blames the problem on irresponsible pet owners.

“People move, and they just leave their cats in the apartment, and they starve there for two weeks,” she says.

As she talked, a black and white cat hissed and took a few swipes at a turquoise tabby.

“Here’s a fight starting. All right you guys! That’s enough!,” she shouted, rushing to break up the spat Monday night.