The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

September-October 2020 & August 2022.

I’ve been looking forward to putting this piece out for months. Sladja and I are both passionate and unapologetic cat lovers. Everywhere we travel, without fail, we end up befriending the local kitties.

We nearly always stop to stroke friendly felines. Moreover, we have often fed and taken care of needy street cats. This has resulted in several playful scratches here and there, not to mention a few worrisome bites. And yet I don’t think we’ll ever stay away from cats altogether, we just can’t help ourselves.

I don’t think we have ever seen such an extraordinarily cat-friendly city like Istanbul. From our first day in the city to the last, we saw street cats absolutely everywhere we went.

At Topkapi Palace there were a pair of twin-like kitties keeping watch over a stretch of the gardens.

Elsewhere, in and around the many graves at the Mausoleum of Mahmud II, a variety of pretty, gentle cats rested and napped in precious corners of shade.

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

Later, while exploring the wonderful Sahaflar Book Market, we found ourselves positively surrounded by kitties. They slept on boxes, darted between the stalls and even held court over some of the shelves. All of them existing in perfect harmony with local vendors. Who, more often than not, would keep an eye on their furry friends with amused smiles.

According to those in the know, there are around two hundred thousand cats living in Istanbul.

Of these, experts reckon around one hundred and twenty five thousand are feral. I guess in many cities this would be considered a problem. However, in Istanbul locals mostly embrace the city’s wild beasts.

In fact, time and time again we witnessed how Istanbulites routinely look out for cats in their local neighbourhoods. On our very first day in the city we saw an elderly gentleman laying out dried cat food on the ledges of the garden wall at the Informatics Department at Istanbul University.

Armed with a white bag full of dried pellets, within a minute at least a dozen expectant cats had swarmed around him, meowing with urgency. He had clearly made the journey from somewhere especially. Furthermore, his actions, slow and deliberate, spoke of a man at ease with a ritual he’d been carrying out for years.

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed.

Walk just about anywhere in Istanbul and chances are you’ll see similar acts unfolding. Day in day out, groups of catticuses (a made up word Sladja and I use) gather around charitable men and women. Their ears alert, tails wagging, eyes wide.

These many acts of kindness are not exactly executed on a whim. Rather, this admiration and support of cats are deep-rooted in Islamic traditions.

Muslims all around the world favour cats for their cleanliness in addition to a perceived purity of soul. As such, Muslims throughout Turkey happily accept cats into their homes for a bite or a drink. Or simply just to hang out.

Cats have been a key part of Istanbul culture since Ottoman times. Initially, locals began breeding them to take care of the city’s problems with rampant rats and mice.

Before long, an unspoken agreement was in place. Cats caught mice and rats, people fed and watered cats in return.

Eventually, this long-running union reached the point where city residents began to see stray cats as communal pets. Free-spirited companions to be appreciated and taken care of. An essential part of the city’s culture and heritage that is every bit as important as say dervishes, shadow theatre and Turkish coffee.

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

With this alliance firmly in place, it became common for locals to adorn the streets with food and drink bowls. They also created rest stops where cats could nibble on scraps of food. Take a much-needed mouthful of water, or a lick of milk or cream. Particularly benevolent locals have built cat stations that provide shelter from the rain; little huts fitted with scratching posts and toys.

Despite these many privileged spots, most cats still prefer to choose their own hangouts. In the corner of someone’s front doorstep. In a flowerbed of a city park, on the recently polished hood of a car.

In 2021 Istanbul authorities introduced a law prohibiting anyone from harming and/or capturing street cats. Officially recognised as “living beings” for the first time, messing with the city’s kitties can now be punished with prison time instead of the previously enforced monetary fines.

With cats holding such a revered place in Islam, it’s no surprise to see them hanging out in and around the mosques. Indeed this was our experience, from the first to last mosque we visited. In Süleymaniye Mosque there was a Catticus Finch (yes, we made that up too) curled up in a ball sleeping in the main courtyard.

Cat Dreams.

Meanwhile, at Kalenderhane Mosque, we met a lazy cat lounging within the protective confines of the courtyard. Naturally she was more than up for a stroke while she yawned, stretched and licked herself. Frankly, this is a life I could aspire to.

At Ortakoy Mosque we shared a bench with Cat Stevens, pictured below. He was quite the people watcher, observing all the various comings and goings with interest. Not at all territorial, he even scooted over so that we could rest our feet.

Elsewhere, at Beyazid II Mosque, we came upon a family of darling ginger cats outside the main entrance. They were clearly very hungry and not shy in meowing at anyone who entered or exited the mosque grounds.

Some of mummy’s kittens were so tiny and helpless Sladja and I admittedly found ourselves feeling more than a touch emotional. I kid you not, if we could have adopted this little guy, we would have, on the spot.

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

Unfortunately, we had no food to offer. But it wasn’t long before someone stepped in to help out. A family (mother, father and daughter), were passing by with a bag of bread and pastries. As soon as they saw the cats they knew what they needed to do.

Breaking bits off into manageable chunks, mum and dad let their daughter do the honours. She proceeded to drop little bits around on the floor, the cats scampering after them and gobbling everything up. At first glance one can consider this a heartwarming act of kindness.

However, in recent years local vets have criticised such acts, claiming they often lead to fighting and overcrowding in certain areas of the city. What’s more, in most cases people don’t feed cats properly. Right enough, bread isn’t the best food for them, while pastries usually include ingredients toxic to cats, as well as an overload of carbohydrates. 

Social media and the travel industry have even transformed some Istanbul strays into celebrities. From what I can gather, two of the city’s most famous cats are now sadly deceased. Take Gli, for example, a European Shortcut who lived in Hagia Sophia for many years.

Photo courtesy of Kumkum. 

In 2009, while visiting the magnificent 4th century monument, cameras caught then US president Barack Obama stopping to pet Gli. Thus propelling her to the very apex of international fame. During our visit though Gli was nowhere to be seen. A few weeks later, we read an article confirming the kitty had passed away at the grand old age of 16.

Gli.

Some of our most intimate and amusing cat encounters came at the numerous cafes we visited. At a branch of Lattas Coffee our delicious traditional breakfast (more on that in my food and drink roundup) drew the attention of several neighbourhood cats. One of which became so fixated on me that I felt quite awkward as I tried to enjoy the morning feast.

Another morning, at Espresso Lab off Taksim Square, our coffee and bites came accompanied by the resident house cat. He was absolutely delightful. With seemingly little interest in begging, Catboy Slim was quite happy snuggling on our laps, rubbing his cheeks against mine and even posing for a photo.

With Istanbul often painted as some manner of cat utopia, I feel it only correct that I also share some of the sad sights we witnessed throughout the city. I guess when there are two hundred thousand cats, it’s unsurprising that some slip through the cracks. This raggedy cat, drinking mucky water from discarded paint pots, looked decidedly run down and forlorn.

We’ll also never forget this glassy-eyed cat wandering aimlessly outside a toy shop. Whining at us, the poor thing was definitely in distress and appeared quite confused.

Most heartbreaking of all were the tiny newborns who clearly weren’t getting looked after. In such cases it was truly hard to walk away, especially when it was clear that they had become sickly.

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

If you enjoyed this article and want to know more about Istanbul street cats, we can thoroughly recommend the award-winning documentary Kedi. Directed by Ceyda Torun, an independent Turkish filmmaker, the film focuses on seven of the city’s strays, following them as they experience the various ups and downs of life in the big smoke.

We had the privilege of watching the movie while we were living in Istanbul. As a result, we found our daily cat encounters enriched by the background info that Kedi provides. Thanks so much for checking out my piece on The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

Like this? Take a look at my series of articles on Istanbul.

I’ve been living, working and traveling all over the world since 2001. So why not check out my huge library of travel reports from over 30 countries.