Are Cats in Istanbul Vaccinated?
The short and honest answer is no, most cats you see on the streets of Istanbul are not vaccinated.
Category Dogs of Istanbul
Our First Hike with Zeytin the Rescue Dog in Belgrad Forest
In late 2025, our sanctuary welcomed a new soul: Zeytin (which means Olive in English), a young pit bull whose life was almost cut short before it had a real chance to begin. Her story did not start with cruelty…
Golden November Walks in Istanbul’s Belgrad Forest with Rescue Cats and Dogs
In April 2025, I wrote about Lady, a gentle dog my father had been caring for since 2016. When she was about to be taken away by the municipal teams in Silivri, my brother and I rushed to rescue her…
A Hike in the Belgrad Forest with Lady the Rescue Dog and Cats
The first cool winds of autumn have begun to move through the Belgrad Forest of Istanbul. The air is crisp, but the sunlight still carries the last warmth of summer – that golden, mellow light that filters gently through the…
Lady of the Belgrad Forest: A Rescue Dog’s Springtime Walks [Part 2, May]
When we brought Lady from Silivri to Bahçeköy last month, it felt like we were giving her a second chance at life. She had narrowly escaped a tragic fate after a neighbor reported her to the municipality. For a gentle…
Belgrad Forest in Spring [April]
As Istanbul begins to thaw from the chill of winter, Belgrad Forest (or the Belgrade Forest) awakens with a quiet, almost magical transformation. By April, this vast woodland, located just north of the city, erupts into a symphony of greens.…
Lady of the Belgrad Forest: A Rescue Dog’s Springtime Walks [Part 1, April]
Lady was a stray dog my father had been taking care of since 2016. He had built a kennel for her in the garden of his house in Silivri. Lady would spend the nights in that kennel and roam the…
Rescuing Istanbul’s Strays: How I Care for 100+ Animals [A Story Featured in Newsweek]
For nearly a decade, I have been dedicated to rescuing, feeding, and providing medical care to stray cats and dogs in Bahçeköy, Istanbul. My efforts began in 2015 after I unknowingly rescued a pregnant stray cat who frequently visited my…
Istanbul Cats: The Complex Reality of Life on the Streets
Istanbul has become famous worldwide as the “city of cats” in recent years. And it’s true; there are hundreds of thousands* of stray cats in Istanbul, and many of them live better, are better fed, and even receive healthcare at…