Feline Freedom: Istanbul’s Unique Gift To Stray Cats
Turkey’s Istanbul is setting a beautiful example to the world of what it means to be in touch with one’s inner humanity. Snaking through alleyways, napping on the cash register of supermarkets and basking in the glow of Istanbul’s morning sun are the city’s most prized residents, the stray cats. It is known as the cat capital of the world as it is probably the only city that allows stray cats to roam about freely wherever they like whether its inside moving trains, within crowded shops or bustling markets, you name it. Along with that, cat food stations are as common as street signs as you will find them everywhere you go while you explore Istanbul.
This adoration for stray cats actually goes way back to when the city was under Ottoman rule. During that time, local charitable foundations made sure that stray animals were taken care of and treated well. This love and adoration for stray animals turned into a full-fledged profession were a job was created called mancaci which literally translates to cat sitter. Mancacis were tasked with the job of making sure stray cats were fed. The city’s residents also had the option of buying food from Mancaci’s and feeding the cats themselves or donating money to charitable foundations.
Today, stray cats remain the real bosses and have even embraced the digital age as many influencers would snap selfies with Istanbul’s cats and share them all over social media. If you merely type up #catsofistanbul on Instagram, you’ll see how popular they are on social media.
Getting to see such a culture of kindness integrated into the everyday acts of Istanbul’s residents should be taken as an example for other countries to mirror and emulate, especially ones with a massive population of stray animals.
