Cats of Istanbul

There are a Lot of Cats in Istanbul!

I think I've mentioned once or twice that there are a lot of cats in Istanbul. They are quite literally everywhere you turn, and they all seem relatively well-fed (some more than others) and reasonably happy—as happy as a cat can be, anyway. Here's a short gallery of some of our favorites.

Sleepy Cat, Cold Afternoon.

We found this sleepy cat taking it easy in a grassy knoll in Sultanahmet Square.

Vigilance.

Sultanahmet Square.

Lounging Cat.

Hanging out, waiting for a bit of food to drop.

Black Cat on the Square

Cat Among the Ruins

At play on the ruins of the 2nd Hagia Sofia

Yeah, You!

Bobbie

One of the gals at the Empress Zoë Hotel.

Manjer

Not sure if that's spelled right, but he was the man of the hotel at Empress Zoë. He didn't do much other than sleep.

Sophie

Frankie's favorite cat at Empress Zoë. We have a few pictures of her; she was quite photographable.

Sophie

Sleeping again.

Sophie

My favorite picture of Sophie.

Sophie.

Still sleeping.

Sophie

Cleaning the (ample) belly.

Black Cat

A mama cat inside Hagia Sofia

Calico

Outside the Hagia Sofia

Calico Cat

Hoping for some food to drop.

Black Cat

Stalking Cat

Looking for the food.

Lunch Cat

Cat Nap

You knew that was coming.

Freaked Out Cat

Outside Dolmabahçe Palace

Coming For You

Just beyond the Sphendone walls

Can I Haz Kebab?

This cat waited patiently for a handout as we ate lunch.

Cat House

People in Istanbul build these for the feral cats. Really.

Royal Cat

Inside the Topkapi Palace Museum

Playtime

Across the Paving Stones

Motorbike Cat

Hey!

Ok, that's enough.

Doing what cats do

Waiting for the next meal

On the Run

Black Cat on a Wall

Hiding Out

Big Eyes

An Opportunist

Sophie Cat Plays Fetch

Bonus video! One of our favorite cats was Sophie, a portly gray-and-white gal who lives at the empress Zoë hotel. Here's a video of her playing fetch.

Tom Fassbender is a writer of things with a strong adventurous streak. He also drinks coffee.

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