Istanbul’s Street Cats Run the City

Istanbul’s streets are home to one of the world’s most visible and unusual urban animal communities: tens of thousands of free-roaming cats that move comfortably through daily city life.

From shopping malls and ferries to cafés, parks and historic sites, the cats of Istanbul are not treated as strays, but as familiar presences — often named, photographed, and fed by the people who share their neighborhoods.

According to city officials, more than 160,000 cats live across Istanbul, a city of 16 million people spread over both Europe and Asia. Locals routinely leave out food, build small shelters, and keep watch over the animals, creating informal care networks that span entire districts.

Some cats have become minor celebrities, known by name and followed online, while others quietly nap in shop windows or curl up on restaurant chairs.

One such cat is Kanyon, a mall resident who drew attention after losing his sleeping basket — an incident that sparked an outpouring of food, toys, and even a fan-run social media page.

Another was Gli, the tabby cat who lived inside Hagia Sophia and became internationally known after appearing in photos with visiting world leaders.

City authorities now face the challenge of managing this population, increasing sterilization efforts while balancing residents’ attachment to the animals.

Still, for many people, Istanbul without its cats would feel incomplete. In this city, humans and cats live side by side — not owned, not fenced in, but deeply woven into everyday life.