ISTANBUL: For centuries, cats and the people of Istanbul have shared a unique bond — an unwritten social contract rooted in history, faith and everyday life. That tradition remains deeply alive in the modern city, where street cats are not merely tolerated but cherished.
When the bed of a well-known stray cat named Kanyon was removed from a shopping mall, residents quickly stepped in, building him a new shelter rather than letting him fend for himself. The gesture was hardly unusual in a city where care for animals is considered a shared civic duty.
According to Istanbul’s municipality, more than 160,000 cats live freely on the city’s streets. They are routinely fed, sheltered and fussed over by residents, shopkeepers and café owners across neighbourhoods — from back alleys to luxury storefronts.
“Istanbulites are animal lovers,” says 57-year-old resident Gaye Koselerden. “Cats can curl up on the most expensive duvet, and no one would object.”
Cats nap on café chairs, stretch out on shop counters and wander confidently through historic mosques and busy squares, moving through the city as if they belong everywhere — because, to many residents, they do.
In Istanbul, the streets are not just shared by people and animals; they are collectively cared for. And the city’s cats, free yet protected, continue to live lives marked by comfort, dignity and affection.
