I would be remiss to end my time in this country and not have a post showcasing all of the gorgeous felines I encountered here during my stay. Here are some photographs of the beautiful cats in Antalya Turkey that I had the pleasure of interacting with.
In Parks
There are several parks around the city that have sanctuaries in them. It’s a great idea, the cats have a great place to hang out and vets can come to one central place to take care of these beautiful creatures.
Ataturk Kultur Parki, the Roman Harbour and Karaalioglu Parki are a few that I found with centralized cat compounds. In these havens, are houses, beds, blankets, a bountiful supply of water and food and so many visitors. Me included, visitors stopping by to give cuddles, share the love and just enjoy the presence of these friendly cats.
Kaleici Cats
One of my favourite places to photograph cats was down in Old Town Antalya, Kaleici to be exact. This is because the background of the photos was likely to contain a pretty carpet or old stone wall. Some kind of Turkish ambience adding to the overall vibe of the photograph.
Cats down in Kaleici are super friendly, used to seeing all the tourists every day. If you can sneak down early, before the hoards arrive, you will see beautiful scenes of little old men and women, coming out of their homes, with bags and handfuls of crunchies. They walk around their doorways placing little piles here and there and the cats come running. Adorbs.
Store Cats
Cats are such an integral part of life in Turkey, like no where else I have ever seen. They are literally welcomed and accepted everywhere. This includes all types of retail establishments. From grocery stores, to clothing stores to eateries and public transportation.
If you are a cat lover, Turkey is the place where your inner child will emerge and have complete freedom to play with the friendliest cats around. This is a special situation in Turkey, one where you can see how much the people truly care for all creatures, big and small.
