In Istanbul's narrow backstreets, cats perch on rooftops and window sills, crouch on doorsteps and rest on nearly every corner.
Whether lounging in sunlight, grooming themselves or scampering into shops in search of food, cats have become an inseparable part of neighbourhood life in Europe's biggest city.
They are so ubiquitous that no one bats an eye at a cat padding across the lobby of a high-rise office building, or when one curls up to sleep on a nearby barstool. Shop owners and locals often know their neighbourhood cats by name and will tell tales about them, as if chatting about a friend.
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Nor is it unusual to see cats hopping into the laps of restaurant patrons, hoping for a comfortable spot to rest - and a chance to nab a scrap of food.
Necati, who makes his living collecting paper for recycling, steams chicken every morning that he hangs from the side of his cart. As he wends his way through Istanbul, he feeds strays.
Cats are sacred, he said, telling the story of a cat who protected the Prophet Muhammad from a deadly snake while he was praying. "One should love cats, not people," he said. "People are ungrateful."