Istanbul (not Constantinople) loves cats. According to Andrea some neighborhoods have free cat clinics where vets care for strays. Some folks take their pet cats to the clinic for free care. People leave bowls of water and people keep kitty kibble in their pockets to leave little piles. At the cemetery by the Suleymaniye Mosque water bowls sit discreetly behind headstones. We watched a kitten enjoy some kibble that came out of a pocket just a few minutes before. Our friend Andrea, who lives here, is playing with one cat who wanted everyone who passed to scratch his tummy. Andrea says some neighborhoods have cat boxes for felines to sleep in. NPR recently did a story on how Chicago could not figure out how to solve its rodent problem until someone decided to feed cats. The Turks knew that already.
What a wonderful solution! Thank you Rich, for sharing! I really enjoyed this story.
Doris Bailey