Forget YouTube stars, food bloggers and celebrity Twitter accounts: we all know that cats rule the internet. And in Istanbul, they reign supreme on the streets as well -- the Turkish city is home to some 125,000 stray cats and 130,000 stray dogs.
In a survey of 2000 Americans, nearly 90% said they would save their pet from a house fire before they would save a family heirloom. Istanbulites are no less devoted to the cats that frequent cafes, mosques and other public establishments as freely as their human counterparts; residents leave food and water out for the strays, collect contributions towards veterinary care, and build outdoor shelters for them in the colder winter months. They even erect statues honoring the most famous of the felines. After a fat cat called Tombili was photographed lounging against a street step in an uncannily person-like pose -- a picture which quickly achieved viral status on the Internet -- Istanbul authorities commissioned a bronze replica in his honor.
Unsurprisingly, this reverence for cats is mirrored on social media, with at least a dozen Facebook pages devoted to the city's strays. One of the largest is "Cats of Istanbul," which boasts 70,000 followers, allowing cat fanciers from the world over to get a glimpse into the lives of Istanbul's street kitties.
Another cats' eye view of the city comes courtesy of filmmaker Ceyda Torun, whose film "Kedi" (Turkish for "cat") premiered in New York last month. This loving tribute to the strays follows six particular cats, all of whom have outsized personalities: Sari, a tabby-turned-foodie who begs, borrows and steals food scraps for herself and her kittens; Gamsiz, a shorthair whose climbing skills allow him access to second-floor apartment windows.
Torun also gives screen time to the humans who care for the cats, including a businessman who recovered from a nervous breakdown by feeding the local felines. Another man, who lives in an area that is slated for redevelopment, tells her, "We're more worried about what will happen to the cats than to us. If this neighborhood gets torn down, they won't have anyone."
The ancient Egyptians' reverence for cats is well-documented, but the special bond between Turkish felines and humans also goes back thousands of years, and is even documented in Islamic texts that tell of how the Prophet Mohammed loved cats. As a port city and therefore the temporary home of rat-infested ships from all over the world, Istanbul became a haven for cats centuries ago, and its current citizens are all too happy to continue this feline-friendly legacy.
To animal lovers, the idea of a city filled with critters sounds like heaven, but the presence of the strays can also be problematic. Municipalities are required to spay and neuter stray animals and to fit them with microchips, in accordance with European convention rules, an undertaking which cost Turkey $5 million (USD) between 2009 and 2016. A proposal by the government in 2012 would have rounded up the city's not-quite-wild, not-quite-tame cats and dogs and consigned them to "nature parks," were it not for public outcry.
"Kedi" -- as well as the multiple Instagram accounts, Facebook pages, and YouTube videos that chronicle the remarkable feline population of "Catstantinople" -- is clear evidence that despite governmental attempts to control the street animals' numbers, the bond between furry friends and their almost-owners is too strong to be broken by mere laws.