Every day of a snowy Istanbul winter, cats came running along narrow paths cut through the drifts to meet one woman carrying food. A video uploaded in January 2016 names her as Vera Kovaleva and shows her feeding street cats in the coastal district of Kartal, where she and a group of volunteers looked after around 350 animals.
Vera Kovaleva and the cats of Kartal
The video follows the daily round: carrying bags of food through the snow, clearing a spot where the cats can eat, and waiting as dozens of them gather. Alongside feeding, the group worked to arrange veterinary care and neutering for the colony, the part of community cat care that matters most over the long term.
Istanbul, a city of cats
Istanbul is famous for its street cats. Estimates range from about 125,000 strays to well over a million, depending on who is counting. According to one account, cats first came on Phoenician trading ships to control rodents, and more arrived with the Roman and Ottoman spice and silk trades; in a city of wooden houses they were a practical necessity. Ottoman Istanbul even had a profession for it, the mancacı, who was paid to feed the neighbourhood’s cats.
The tradition lives on. Islam, the country’s main faith, regards cats warmly, and residents put out food and water and build small “cat houses” on the pavement. Each local council runs a veterinary service offering free neutering, and the city has installed vending machines that release food for cats and dogs when passers-by drop in coins. Since 2021 Turkish law classes animals as living beings instead of commodities, with prison sentences for cruelty and mandatory sterilisation of strays.
Some cats have become celebrities. Tombili, photographed lounging on a pavement, was honoured with a statue after her death, and Gli (2004–2020) lived her whole life in Hagia Sophia. The acclaimed 2016 documentary Kedi follows several of the city’s street cats.
Helping community cats in snow and cold
Alley Cat Allies’ cold-weather guidance gives practical advice for anyone feeding outdoor cats in winter:
- Feed more. Cats burn extra energy to stay warm; wet food is easiest to digest. Replace food and water once or twice a day so nothing freezes.
- Stop water freezing. Use deep plastic bowls in sunny spots, not metal, and insulate underneath with foam or a heating pad.
- Build a feeding station that shields food and cats from wind and snow, and stock extra before a forecast storm.
- Insulate shelters with straw. Straw repels moisture; blankets and towels soak it up and turn cold.
- Clear the snow. After a snowfall, dig out feeding areas and check that shelter entrances are open.
- Check your car. Before driving, look under the bonnet and around the wheels, where cats climb for warmth.
The best help is often to join an established local group, which can coordinate food, neutering and vet care. For more animals in the snow, see Finn’s backyard snow maze, the story of Miss Ice River and Zoofi, the kitten watching snow at the window.
Related reading
- Millie and Craig Armstrong: A Cat’s Place in a Climber’s Travels
- Fletcher Meets Snow: Following the Falling Flakes
- Zoofi the Kitten Meets Falling Snow
- Sophie the Cat Discovers Snow at the Doorway
- Waffles the Cat and an Icy Jump
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