He's not alone: according to City Hall, Istanbul has more than 160,000 cats living on its streets who are regularly fed and fussed over by the city's 16 million residents. That's why they call it 'the city of cats'," explains Gaye Koselerden, 57, looking at Kanyon's toy-filled corner which looks like a child's bedroom. "Giving the cats food was seen as an offering in the name of God." "In Germany, we have many rats, but here, with so many cats, they must be afraid," she smiled. Without its cats, Istanbul just would not be the same, she said.

Source: Bangkok Post January 26, 2026 03:35 UTC