Istanbul: Dream Destination for Cat Lovers

It's true, cats are everywhere in Istanbul and many of them are very friendly, even if you have nothing more for them than a few pets and a chin scritch

This one at the Tünel though gets so much attention (and food) she really just wants a break (and a nap)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%BCnel

This beauty was waiting for attention at one of the urban train stations

And this is her snaggletooth friend (really sweet boy)

Lots of cats sunning on the rocks

And kittens (there are two here)

This teen kitty was really looking to play more than anything

Waiting outside the mosque

And catching a drink in the courtyards

Also, some one-eyed cats (something I hadn't ever seen before)

But still healthy

Store cats

This elderly lady was there every day guarding the entrance (usually napping though)

Waking from a nap at the Grand Bazaar

Or playing King of the Hill on the garbage piles at midnight

I call this one, "Peppers, Pants, and Putty Tats"

So well known, there is even a movie about the cats of Istanbul

Dog tax (for contrast)

I have dozens more pictures but I'll save some for the next trophy posts.

For now though I would not recommend a trip to Istanbul. The inflation is remarkable (when I went it was 2.5 Turkish liras per dollar and now it's more than 20). But, it may still be a good trip. I mean, there is so much more to see there including the huge diversity of people all of which is good for broadening one's perceptions of the world