Kedi means "cat" in Turkish. It's also the name of a documentary that follows the lives of seven street cats in Istanbul, exploring their interactions with the city and its human residents.
Thousands of cats have lived in Istanbul for centuries. They have become a symbol of the city's charm and are often featured in art, literature, and media that depict Istanbul. Some residents, like my landlady, leave out food and water for them, and it's common to see makeshift shelters and feeding stations throughout the city.
Since arriving in Istanbul a month ago, I've been observing cats every day at home and outside. At one point, I looked at all the photos of cats on my phone and thought my project theme might as well shift to cats. This post is dedicated to the cats in/of Istanbul.
Let's start with the ones at my temporary home. Gotta love each other.I didn't do nothing!Why are you looking at me?Taking up spaceLooking for something or someone?While I wanted to keep this post light-hearted, the reality is that life as a female stray cat can be pretty tough. They can have up to three to four litters every year. Each litter can consist of anywhere from one to ten kittens. Most of the kittens won't survive past a few days, but the mothers keep getting pregnant and birthing more, as most stray cats aren't spayed or neutered... For the kittens that do survive though, it seems that for the most part they're well taken care of by individuals, shops, cafés, restaurants, NGOs, and even the municipalities.The tiniest kitten I've seen!Company!Guess what the two women had? Food, of course!Sidewalk residentIn a Turkish towel shopAbout to fall asleepFound a bed. Gotta nap.Another bed, and another cat nappingThis works too.So does this.Winning the sleeping game❤️
