It's Raining Cats and Dogs.... Literally.

Around Istanbul, there are more stray animals that I have ever seen in any other location. They are everywhere: on the streets, living in groups inside quaint courtyards, or making thier homes in shop entrances. These dogs and cats are extrememly friendly, though dirty, and often approach the casual pedestrian, simply asking for love. At the very least, they look at you with those eyes. You know which eyes I mean.

Now, this "problem" is not helped by the Turkish attitude towards the animals. The are treated with such kindness, more so than most people give thier pets in the United States, save the bathing part. People give them plenty food, a consistent and comfortable place to sleep at night, and even pet them on the go. In fact, most of these animals are fat, happy, and cheerful.

I recently passed a photogenic "cat farm", what we call them, and happened to have my camera.

In this small courtyard beside a huge highway, the cats lounge about all day, with plenty of visitors to give them love and food. You can see that people have laid down towels to make their selected perch more comfortable and home-like. They perked up immediatlely when I walked over.

This one was gorgeous, not to mention mysterious with his blind eye.

Look at that, right in my face! Curiosity becomes this one.

The dogs are the same way, though they don't choose to live in packs. Many shop owners have set up pads in the alleys for the dogs to sleep on. They trot through the foot traffic like they've got places to be. Some hang out by the food vendors, wisely positioning themselves at prime feeding locations. I'll get a photo of my canine pals another day; I need to carry my camera more often!