Cats in Turkey (Turkiye'de Kediler)

Before coming to Turkey in 2006 for the first time, I knew little about the country. Of the many things I have learned about Turkey over the years, certain things stand out in my mind and I continue to be amazed at such things.

Cats. I love cats. I would love to have a kitty of my own if it weren't for their stinky litter boxes, shedding hair and their razor sharp claws shredding up the furniture. Cats are everywhere in Turkey and I mean everywhere! The locals call them sokak kedisi, or street cats. Some cats are very polite and love to be touched, while others you should definitely steer clear of. One can usually tell the mean kitties from the nice kitties by looking into their eyes. For example, if you see a cat missing one of their eyes, he's probably a mean cat!

These cats are very clever...after all, they are street cats. You can normally find kitties near restaurants begging for table scraps. Apparently, cats love fish and cheese. But be forewarned: once you start feeding one cat, the rest will follow.

Turkey has ample pet stores with many kitties for sale at absorbingly high prices. If and when I ever decide to have a cat in my home, you can bet-your-bottom-dollar that I wont pay a cent for a cat (expect the shots, etc). I have seen many beautiful, friendly cats that I would happily adopt so long as I can get over the stinky litter box and the couch shredding.