The Street Cats of Istanbul: Citizens by the Bosphorus

If you have been to Istanbul, you will have noticed: cats are another set of 'owners' of the city. They wait by fish sellers on the Galata Bridge for tossed heads, drink from mosque basins, and doze at the feet of tourists. The city has tens of thousands of street cats, and almost every neighborhood has its own informal 'cat caretaker' — a unique local role responsible for feeding, vet care, and neutering. In 2016, the Turkish government launched a 'Cat City' initiative, allocating millions of lira for the medical care and neutering of urban cats. One of Istanbul's largest cat cafés has 'cat employees' with names, photo walls, and food budgets. The people of Istanbul often say: 'We are not a city that owns cats. We are a city that lives together with them.'