The city has more than 160 000 cats living on its streets, who are regularly fed and fussed over by the city’s 16 million residents.
Author Terry Pratchett wrote: “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.”
He was echoing Winston Churchill, the great orator, whose comment was: “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
Cats are the sort of creatures who leave few humans sitting on the fence, you either love them or loathe them.
People who avoid cats often do so because, perhaps more than other domestic pets, they provoke allergies and it’s almost impossible to love something which makes your skin itch, nose run and your eyes water.
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And, even those who love cats will admit that the ownership relationship is frequently the other way around – you don’t own a cat, it owns you.
Seldom are cats more tolerated, or even revered, than in Istanbul in Türkiye.
The city has more than 160 000 cats living on its streets, who are regularly fed and fussed over by the city’s 16 million residents.
Some moan that they are no longer effective at keeping down the rodent population and even feed side by side with rats.
On the other hand, the felines have become a major tourist attraction.
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