Catstanbul: Inside the city where cats live alongside people

Istanbul's long relationship with its street cats has shaped daily life in the city for centuries, creating an environment where humans and felines share the same public spaces with unusual ease.

Author and photographer Jeff Bogle, writing about the city's cat culture in a BBC report, notes that Istanbul balances its dense population, busy streets and historic landmarks with an equally visible community of street cats.

The city's neighbourhoods, from mosques and markets to pavements and cafés, are home to an estimated hundreds of thousands of cats that move freely and are cared for by residents.

Marcel Heijnen, photographer and author of City Cats of Istanbul, told Bogle that most cats in Istanbul exist in a space between being pets and strays. He said they are not owned by individuals but are looked after collectively by neighbourhood communities.

According to Fatih Dağlı, co-founder of Cat Museum Istanbul, each municipality maintains a veterinary department that offers free neutering services for street cats, while private clinics provide discounted treatment supported by contributions from local residents. Bogle reports that this care has deep historical roots.

Heijnen said the practice of looking after stray cats dates back to the Ottoman era, when local foundations ensured that animals on the streets were fed. A role known as mancacı — or "cat sitter" — emerged at the time, responsible for feeding the city's cats, with residents also able to buy food from them to feed the animals themselves.

Dağlı told Bogle that the relationship can be traced even further back to the period when sea traders kept cats on ships to guard against rodents.

Photo: TBS

As merchant vessels arrived at Istanbul's ports during the Roman and Ottoman periods, cats arrived with them and became part of the city's landscape. Today, this shared existence remains visible throughout Istanbul.

The nickname "Catstanbul" is widely used by visitors and enthusiasts, and many travellers come to the city specifically to experience its street cats.

Bogle writes that during his own visits, he found the cats to be quiet presences in an otherwise crowded and fast-moving environment, often providing moments of calm on benches, seawalls or hillsides overlooking landmarks such as the Galata Tower. He describes watching countless people pause to pet a cat resting in their lap, brief exchanges that require no shared language.

Heijnen told him that when a cat chooses a person's lap amid the sounds and smells of the city, Istanbul becomes a gentler place.

Cities are usually known for their hard materials and infrastructure, but Bogle notes that Istanbul offers a contrast: a large, modern metropolis where another species has visibly claimed space.

Heijnen said that seeing residents look after these "fellow earthlings" is an important part of the city's character.

Photo: UNB

In areas such as Fatih, near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, well-known cats like Sulo pose for photos under the watch of shopkeepers who care for them. Across hillsides and along the Bosphorus, cats rest on benches, steps and inside small wooden shelters. Food and water bowls are placed outside shops, markets and metro stations, with both locals and visitors sharing portions of their meals with passing animals.

Many shops also keep cats inside, drawing customers in. Others simply maintain feeding points at their doorways, reinforcing what Heijnen described as a long-standing, practical relationship between people and cats.

During the Ottoman period, they were valued for controlling vermin around stored food; today, they play a different role as an informal symbol of the city.

For many visitors, Bogle writes, the cats become lasting memories — appearing in photographs, approaching their feet, or resting beside them. Their presence offers a reminder of what is possible when public spaces are shared with care and consideration, both at home and while travelling.