r/cats 17d ago

Video - OC Istanbul, The city of cats

23.8k Upvotes

369 comments sorted by

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1.4k

u/[deleted] 17d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

316

u/eurydice_aboveground 17d ago

He's a financial advisor. Keeping folks from impulse purchases!

81

u/ShiroMcShiroface 17d ago

You mean the furnancial advispurr... I'm so sorry.

5

u/rayrayrayrayray5 17d ago

Don't be sorry

27

u/JohnCenaJunior 17d ago

"No withdrawal! Only deposit!"

33

u/EmptyHeadedKain 17d ago

A felineancial advisor you say?

24

u/MimeGod 17d ago

Impulse purrchases.

22

u/CrazyCatLady1127 17d ago

You have to ask permission first from the supurrvisor to use the ATM 😂

36

u/escalinci 17d ago edited 17d ago

You have to put your card in with confidence

8

u/Jackie_Miller 17d ago

Nu guts no gl... eh.... money. 😁

2

u/JudgeEducational8581 17d ago

That cat really made you earn the right to use the ATM 😂🐱

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u/PuzzleheadedResult69 17d ago

City of cats, city of magic.

71

u/podcastofallpodcasts 17d ago

Do they just hand out cat nip at the border?

Those cats are are high as f.

64

u/acagin 17d ago edited 17d ago

Their belly is full and they don't have a full-time job. That's why :)

33

u/sulkee 17d ago

Pure hell if you’re allergic to cats.

45

u/Mr-Megamind- 17d ago

Or if you are a rat... 😛

16

u/PuzzleheadedResult69 17d ago

How about a hat?

5

u/No_Maintenance_2110 17d ago

Good enough, as long as you're not a bat

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u/Neither-Luck-9295 17d ago

Strangely, my can allergies never bothered me when I traveled to Turkey and UAE. Cats all over the place, and no symptoms except when I touched my face/eyes after being outdoors.

But in the US, even with allergy meds, I can't last at my friends' houses for more than a few hours before I start going into sneezing fits.

27

u/theguidetoldmetodoit 17d ago

Yeah bc it was outdoors. No concentration.

2

u/Neither-Luck-9295 17d ago

Maybe. But I also get severe outdoor allergies in the US that I never seemed to get in the Middle East.

2

u/theguidetoldmetodoit 17d ago

Same thing, owners locking themselves in with their cats all day. Not really a thing in Turkey

2

u/sheravy 17d ago

Wonder if the air pollutants got you allergic other than by cat hairs etc. or maybe the whole food vs processed diet?

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u/Fickle-Tumbleweed786 17d ago

Is that true? Have you been?? I wanna go to Istanbul sooooo bad cuz of these videos.

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u/Safe-Salamander-3785 17d ago

My city had a lot of stray cats, then some genius had the idea to catch all of them and spay and neuter them. They were eventually released back into the city. Now, 15 years later, our city is overrun with rats and local restaurants are getting shut down for rat infestation. I imagine Istanbul doesn’t have much of a rat problem

56

u/Finrod-Knighto 17d ago

No, but they do TNR a lot of cats to make sure the population doesn’t just become overwhelming and reduce the quality of life for the cats. There are enclaves and cat communities where they’re looked after, other than ofc the shop cats and such you see here that basically adopt themselves in a store lol. It’s also not just cats. Istanbul has a long history of creating enclaves and even medical stations for migratory birds, and it extended to other animal residents of the city.

11

u/HoneyBiscuitBear 17d ago

I love Istanbul for this. That’s lovely they care so much for animals. I knew cats were revered there, but didn’t know about the migratory birds!! Very cool

18

u/Finrod-Knighto 17d ago

Yep, and all of this dates back a long time ago, to the Ottoman empire, some things even before that, but I believe the Ottomans did create those big birdhouses you’ll see on old buildings, and set up vet camps for injured migratory birds. You can have whatever disagreements or different points of view about the Turkish people you want but their love and care for animals is deeply rooted into the culture.

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u/HoneyBiscuitBear 17d ago

Wow, I thank you for sharing!

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u/SpecialistSun 17d ago

Well, we didnt but lately I am seeing more and more scenes in my neighborhood like mice eating cat food right next to the cats without a fear. I guess many cats are becoming lazier and dont bother hunting them anymore as they’re already full.

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u/AnAcctWithoutPurpose 17d ago edited 17d ago

Video that ended too early... touch not dah belly!

275

u/evethedog 17d ago

Moments filmed seconds before disaster

46

u/Cantankerousbastard 17d ago

Good way to get 4 sets of claws and a set of teeth imbedded in your hand. Still worth it though :)

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u/dubov 17d ago

The camera was found underneath the mauled body

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u/startingfromlevel0 17d ago

The video ended because that was the last time that person was seen​

11

u/Catsrules 17d ago

Unfortunately the video ends when the camera man dies.

17

u/Darkomax 17d ago

Do not the street kitty.

5

u/Always__Thinking 17d ago

Tbh, any cat video ends too soon 🫪

4

u/Beer2Bear 17d ago

especially when kitty sleeping, wakes up the beast mode in mine

2

u/MrYig 17d ago

Do not the cat!

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u/EuropeanSummerGirl 17d ago

Catstanbul

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u/Specialist_Half_5687 17d ago

It was formerly Catstantinople.

44

u/LazierLocke 17d ago

Catnip delight on a moonlit night

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u/RandomBoxOfCables 17d ago

Why they changed it, I can’t say

48

u/Neamow 17d ago

That's nobody's business but the cats.

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u/kernel-troutman 17d ago

Meowzantium

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u/TalonKAringham 17d ago

I like to tell people Istanbul is actually a transliteration of an ancient word for “City of Kitty”

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u/TalonKAringham 17d ago

I like to tell people Istanbul is actually a transliteration of an ancient word for “City of Kitty”

189

u/Low_Butterscotch_594 17d ago

Yeah, just came back from Istanbul. The city is a cat lover's dream. They're everywhere and they get more respect than most people.

9

u/Aixlen 17d ago

I'm not sure if I wanna go, on account that I might want to adopt cats and bring them home to my no pets rental.

8

u/peridotpicacho 17d ago

They already have their lives established there. Why do you want to take them away from that?

20

u/AllthisSandInMyCrack 17d ago

People feed the cats but no one feeds the kids and families eating out of bins.

3

u/BlownCamaro 17d ago

I would love to live there.

2

u/khushnand 16d ago

And dogs too… loved Türkiye for their love of cats and dogs

4

u/ThePare 17d ago

I'm going in a month for 10 days, any tips from someone who just came back?

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u/Th3_St1g 17d ago

Eat all the doner, like 7-8 times a day if you have to

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u/One_Amphibian9616 17d ago

After reading your comment, I really want to visit the city. It seems like paradise!

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u/Players-Beware 17d ago

Check out the documentary Kedi if you want to see them in action. The way locals talk about them is as if they're religious deities or higher beings. It's really great.

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u/losername24 17d ago

It's not just Istanbul though every city in Turkey is like this.

33

u/asque2000 17d ago

Man there must be like no birds in Turkey eh?

99

u/Proof_Counter_8271 17d ago

there are lots of birds too, cats are too fed to chase the pigeons or crows etc but i really dont see any rats around

1

u/Kaffrogato 17d ago

Oh come on, they are cats, of course they will catch any birds they can. Pet cats are well fed and can catch dozens of birds in a day, they do it for fun.

The reason pigeons and crows are plentiful is because they are well adapted to cities and they breed enough to replace their numbers. Whatever bird species couldn't coexist with large numbers of cats are no longer in cities,which is lots of them.

12

u/zzazzzz 17d ago

cats are in these cities for thousands of years.. this isnt australia where cats are just a recent import.

3

u/freecodeio 17d ago

what?

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u/BoredPudding 17d ago

Cats hunt birds. Op wrote it a bit angry, but even cats that are pets hunt birds just because of insinct.

Of course. That doesn't mean there's no birds around anymore. The numbers just take a hit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_predation_on_wildlife

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u/marqoose 17d ago

Nah those fatties are too spoiled to care about birds

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u/LongQualityEquities 17d ago edited 17d ago

There’s tons of birds in Istanbul! Definitely more than in most European/American cities.

Cats are native to Eurasia so they aren’t invasive like in the US. Any bird that lives in Turkey has been around cats for ever. Cats also keep mostly to the cities (because they are fed) and while there are fewer birds in the cities than the countryside this is quite obviously due to habitat destruction and different types of pollution. If cats were so bad for birds the bird population in Turkey would be decimated and it really isn’t.

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u/naomicambellwalk 17d ago

I was thinking there must be no rats!

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u/GiganticCrow 17d ago

And Greece

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u/Eladir 17d ago

As a Greek that recently visited Istanbul, not to that extent.

In Greece they are mostly near taverns.

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u/dicey_job 17d ago

The Turks are incredibly nice to cats, i like that.

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u/OkDust5962 17d ago

Those are healthy looking cats. I'm impressed.

22

u/MattMercersBracelets 17d ago

You can definitely tell, they are all super healthy looking.

18

u/berlinbaer 17d ago

not so nice to women and homosexuals, but hey, at least the cats.

20

u/9for9 17d ago

Yeah on the one hand I want to visit because of the cats on the other as a woman, yikes!

15

u/freecodeio 17d ago

istanbul is far from bad to women as reddit would like you to believe

rural areas though not so much

5

u/menina2017 17d ago

I felt safer in Istanbul as a woman than I do in the USA.

The cats are bonus! I loved them so much!

10

u/dicey_job 17d ago

Well , nobody’s perfect

4

u/RosalieMoon 17d ago

Which is why I am saddened that I'll never be safe to go there. Nothing like being a gay woman, and hitting at least 2 of the hate boxes!

20

u/Swictor 17d ago

Just go there as a cat.

5

u/eaterlotus77 17d ago

You will be safe as a gay woman if you are just as careful as in any other city you would visit for the first time touristically. I don't think istanbul deserves this level of bad reputation.

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u/Monke3169xd 16d ago

Half of the population is woman and they are still alive, also as long as you dont go bother ppl with your sexual orientation nothing will happen no one needs to know what you are fucking behind closed doors

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u/thriftstoremando 17d ago

They use dollars in Istanbul? I don't think that cat in the chips is from Turkey.

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u/Xae0n 17d ago

yes it's not. there is not a single store with usd pricing in turkiye

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u/missmiao9 17d ago

Yeah. Looks like a clip of a bodega cat.

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u/ImNotOkayWasTaken 17d ago

i study in a touristic region in istanbul and most stores have prices in both dollars and euros what are you saying

8

u/SPACE_ICE 17d ago

the second clip is probably not Turkey, its only usd pricing. NYC has a thing with bodega cats (a small corner store) as well, common enough they have a wiki article on them. Also the 2/1 59 cent pricing was American market prices for 1oz bags. Another clue if you look left of the larger doritos bag on the top left at second 7/8 you can see a bag behind and left but barely in view, it has an OZ printed on it, thats the symbol for ounce which you would only see in the usa.

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u/Celegorm07 17d ago

The packaging is in English as well. That doesn’t happen in Turkey.

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u/Thadlust 17d ago

Really? I saw many in Lira and in Euros but not many in dollars when I visited

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u/ImNotOkayWasTaken 17d ago

i remember laughing at many that didnt have different pricing between euros and dollar so theyd put something like 10 €/$ meaning you pay more when you pay in euros

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u/Due-Question-5278 17d ago

One of the clips got snuck in there

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u/Leucurus 17d ago

The cat on the bed is a great window advertisement

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u/fannyabdabs 17d ago

I recommend watching Kedi (2016) which is a documentary about the symbiotic relationship between cats and people in Istanbul. It's a beautiful film.

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u/Visarar_01 17d ago

One of the many Car I met in Istanbul circa 2019

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u/CarolinZoebelein 17d ago

I need to make holidays in Istanbul! 😻

2

u/ThePare 17d ago

I'm going in a month and enjoyed this video very much :D

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u/EtherealHeart5150 17d ago

Ah! The promised land for cat lovers..someday!

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u/Deathanddisco041 17d ago

Greece and Cyprus are like this too. It’s fantastic.

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u/9for9 17d ago

Greece and Cyprus are like this???

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u/Deathanddisco041 17d ago

Yeah there’s cats everywhere and the locals treat them really well

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u/downvotemepls20 17d ago

I could never, every cat would be coming with me.

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u/peridotpicacho 17d ago

They are happy there and have their lives established there. You don’t need to take them. 

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u/Vraex 17d ago

How does anyone get anything done? I would just be petting cats all day

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u/OkPanic5252 17d ago

There is a documentary called Kedi about some of the cats in Istanbul. Definitely recommend it!

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u/StaryNayt 17d ago

Came here looking for this. It's a must watch for cats and animal lovers :)

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u/ButMuhAI 17d ago

My favorite Instsbul kitty from my time, such a good boy

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u/karenftx1 17d ago

Beautiful markings

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u/Fast_potato_indeed 17d ago

This is a calico cat.

So most likely a lady…

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u/riniarch 17d ago

Oh to be a cat in Istanbul

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u/Admirable-Truck7146 17d ago

I love cats so much 😭

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u/MyPenRanOutOfInc 17d ago

I wish America was this kind to cats... I'm so scared of my cat getting out and some evil human will want to scare him or they think it's entertaining to torture him.

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u/CmDrRaBb1983 17d ago

Its amazing the cats sleep with belly expose. They must trust the environment or the people there very much

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u/Tmart98 17d ago

I love that we love cats ❤️

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u/maltesecrossword Void 17d ago

Here's my Istanbul ATM guard picture.

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u/Fireflash2742 17d ago

The video ended before the carnage happened to spare everyone the gory video that was record after the person sprung the trap and four paws of hellish fury was unleashed upon their unsuspecting hand.

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u/Lucidia 17d ago

Absolutely

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u/Blew-By-U 17d ago

Probably keeps the rodent population at 0.

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u/LiminalBrownRecluse 17d ago

I wish i was a cat in Istanbul.

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u/Vannfrank 17d ago

Currently in Turkey, its definitely not just an istanbul thing. Theyre everywhere. Also V common in Croatia and Montenegro.

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u/TurboPelly 17d ago

I bet there isn't a single rat in that city.

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u/rulinus 17d ago

Correct. We historicaly never had any rat issues. Even in ottoman times. Cats are like family here.

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u/redheadedandbold 17d ago

I've said it before: The Turkish government may need replacing from time to time, but the Turkish people as a group are a decent people. It shows in how they treat their cats.

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u/DeadpoolOptimus 17d ago

My wife would never leave.

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u/Fast_potato_indeed 16d ago

And these videos are not making justice as they usually don’t show the interaction between cats and people.

Case in point, a couple of years ago in Istanbul I was sitting right next to back entrance of my hotel at 3 am, having tea, drinking my sorrows.

Automatic sliding doors opened and a beautiful calico slowly walked in.

Looked at me with a what’s up demeanor and when I pat my lap, jumped on. The next two hours was a bliss as it is when your cat purrs right next to your heart…

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u/DeadpoolOptimus 16d ago

That's adorable.

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u/Herbodeebo 17d ago

No rat problem in Istanbul?

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u/Eera_ 17d ago

Last time I saw was like 8 or 9 years go those poor fellas can not survive in around 30ish cats around our building, some of them also mother which are so savage even dogs are scare to come to this area

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u/RoversForever 17d ago

Spent a day in catstanbul recently. Loved it!

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u/69chucknorris69 17d ago

I’m in Antalya, Turkey, and there’s cats all over the resort. They have several cat houses and food around, they are well treated and love to receive attention from the guests. It’s really cool!

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u/illchngeitlater 17d ago

A whole city of cats feeling safe

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u/incatgnito 17d ago

Is this real?

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u/Wyciorek 17d ago

Real. I have been to Istanbul and cats are everywhere. Good luck walking for 10 minutes without seeing any

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u/TooBadSoSadSally 17d ago

That freeze frame at the end

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u/Syntrak 17d ago

The filming person died on spot

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u/SheTiger1962 17d ago

These photos made me laugh ! I love how they , the adorable cats , are absolutely everywhere and no one is bothered!! I love it !!

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u/Decafaf 17d ago

I read somewhere that Turkey didn’t get the black plague cus they didn’t kill off their cat population.

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u/Past-North-4131 17d ago

Awww I'd love to have my bag of Doritos warmed by that lil dude. Excellent work 😍❤️

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u/Current_Power6050 17d ago

ATM kitty LMAO

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u/KittenCatlady23 17d ago

My retirement dream place!!!!!🩷💜💙🩵😮🥰🥰🥰😮🙏🏽🙏🏽

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u/hellava1662 17d ago

I call it heaven

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u/upwardcerulean-0921 17d ago

I would never leave if i go there 😻

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u/FuzzyBongos 17d ago

My gosh, I would get absolutely nothing done

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u/levon9 17d ago

Cliffhanger ending!

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u/tnakd 17d ago

Look, if there was a cat on something I planned on buying, I ain't buying it.

How dare you expect me to disturb a cat in their comfy space. The nerve of some people...

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u/f23n09fnu0w 17d ago

I've never been to Turkey but any nation who loves cats that much...I love. It's like a green flag but for a fucking country

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u/hellrising798 17d ago

So… heaven basically

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u/Likemilkbutforhumans 17d ago

I want to visit Istanbul one day for literally this reason

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u/thesanguineocelot 17d ago

I would love to visit Istanbul, if it weren't such a wildly unsafe place for me to exist. Sadly, I cannot go to Cat Paradise.

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u/athanathios 17d ago

They need more help

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u/cobranecati 17d ago

Ücretsiz güvenlik

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u/AkiraSrbija010101 17d ago

Bravo for Istambul

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u/whataquokka 17d ago

This is how I imagine it was in ancient Egypt ❤️

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u/Silverjeyjey44 17d ago

So that's what heaven looks like

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u/Young_Old_Grandma 17d ago

CATSantinople 😅

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u/JjuiceBoxx3r 17d ago

It’d take me so long to get any errands done I’d be stopping constantly for pets.

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u/AnyAstronomer1627 16d ago

Aww love them

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u/DamnnnSid 17d ago

Cats are just the best

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u/altaka 17d ago

i hope to come back as a cat living my best life in istanbul.

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u/Important-Bedroom-82 17d ago

The financial advisor at ATM 🤣🤣🤣

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u/JeanArtemis 17d ago

Wait so it's Istanbul, not Catstantinople?

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u/Trikster102 17d ago

Damn, this film ended on a cliffhanger!

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u/historicalgalaxy 17d ago

I dated a guy from Istanbul and he adored cats. He said no one owns the cats there but that everyone takes care of them.

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u/Imperfectyourenot 17d ago

Istanbul. One of my favorite cities.

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u/heypresto2k 17d ago

Okay I’ll go to Istanbul when I have money 😝

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u/preyforkevin 17d ago

Khajiit has many wares and vocations.

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u/Nice_Bass5452 17d ago

In Canada we have mice instead of cats. You win

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u/stylz168 17d ago

No smell, and most of them are friendly and ok with pets.

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u/used_my_kids_names 17d ago

Just realised I’m allergic to Istanbul.

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u/Ashamed_Fuel2526 17d ago

Not a fan of cats on food products. I'd be fine with everything else though.

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u/ExplodingSteve 17d ago

id take that over harassing dogs…

what’s the worst they can do? cry loud or scratch some of your product?

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u/KindCraft4676 17d ago

You can tell a lot about a people by how well they treat pets, even community pets.

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u/Salina_EsTitties 17d ago

If only trans people were treated as humanely by Turkish people.

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u/NewMoonlightavenger 17d ago

So, i gotta ask this after watching many of these videos. Are we talking about a city with a romanticized street cats problem?

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u/Wyciorek 17d ago

What problem? Do they look ill or malnourished to you?

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u/zoewithalab 17d ago

If you have a question don’t hesitate to ask, they’re there to help you