Catstantinople

One thing I have noticed about Istanbul, compared to other metropolis, is the lack of rats and cockroaches.

Sydney is awash with an army of 'roches ready to blitzkrieg your kitchen as soon as the lights go out. I have seen rats in London that could make off with a small child.

Why the lack of pests here?

There is one answer I can think of:

Cats

A phalanx of cats.

Fluffy, mangy, skinny, scruffy, scraggy, sickly, scrawny, decrepit, ragtag, indigent, gaunt, lanky, weedy, pussies, moggies, kitties, tabbies and tomcats.

As Bangkok streets are ruled by dogs, it is the cats who control Istanbul.

They are everywhere, slinking across roofs, sunning themselves on sidewalks, furtively eyeing fish stands, rummaging in rubbish, lounging in book store windows, wandering past waiters and waiting expectantly outside people's front doors.

In the spring the streets were awash with kittens. They were everywhere, very cute until you see a few by the side of the road that didn't make it.

One student explained the reason. The Quran says that it is fine to feed animals outside your home but not inside.

Some houses have a little feeder and a bowl of water by their door's for their feline friends.

Some people are not as friendly, especially restauranteurs, who fear this business's reputation. They are the first to shoo the intruders.

I have even seen people in the streets or in cafes trying to scare them off. A begging cat can really disturb you meal.

As a result, they tend to be wild and not all that trusting of their human patrons.

When I leave our building of a morning, it is common to see at least half a dozen hanging around. The smell of amonia (or cats piss) is pervasive.

Thanks to the chosen method of rubbish collection in this city ie. dumping it in the street, means that there is a smorgasboard of dining options for them.

One overly friendly old girl wandered into our flat one evening and make herself at home on my clothes in my wardrobe, only leaving to loudly demand food when ever someone went into the kitchen.

We eventually tricked her outside. We don't have any cat food anyway.

If I have a choice I would definitely prefer cats over other vermin, even if they do get to plague numbers at some times.