It's impossible to get to know Istanbul without getting to know Istanbul's cats. Stalking chicken bits in a restaurant, lapping up milk provided by a soft-hearted waiter, creeping along the rooftop of a four floor hotel, cavorting in the gardens of the Hagia Sophia, napping on a pile of rugs... the feline population seems almost to rival the human one. We saw miniature crowds of kittens, solo flyers, scaredy cats, and bold explorers. We saw some people coo with delight over these inhabitants and other people "shoo"ing in Turkish. We met a restaurant cat named Salami who turned up its nose at flatbread but loved kebap. Not surprisingly, I enjoyed this detail of the city. It added a touch of the touchable in all the grandness of Istanbul.
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