There are tens of thousands stray cats and dogs in Istanbul, Turkey and during the winter months, food becomes scarce, threatening the health and safety of many of the animals.
Recently, a man opened the doors of his mosque to homeless cats so that they would have a place out of the cold. And in another part of the city, one woman named Vera has taken it upon herself to feed several hundred stray cats. Vera and several volunteers make sure the cats are fed each and every day.
Vera set up the Atalar Sahili Cat Neutering Group, which is a cat Trap-Neuter-Return group in the area, says that the coastal area of Kartal in Istanbul is around 5 miles (8 km) long and is home to roughly 350 cats, who live between the rocks and logs at the shore line.
Unfortunately there is no place to put shelters in the area with sea on one side and a busy road on the other. But the cats stay warm sleeping deep inside the stones. “The main problem is to keep them full [of food], says the group. “In cold weather we try to feed them every day if we have enough money…20-25 kg [approximately 50 lbs] are needed for 1 time as there are around 350 cats…”
That’s a lot of mouths to feed!
Despite limited resources, Vera and her group are doing what they can to help the stray cats get through the winter cold. The video below shows the group feeding the cats after a recent snowfall.
Share this compassionate woman’s efforts with your friends!
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