Am I Dreaming? Cats and Dogs Everywhere
The stray cat and dog population in the city of Antalya is huge. Walk anywhere in the city and pass dogs napping on the sidewalk and cats basking in the sun. You may imagine unkempt mutts looking depressed (cue Sarah McLachlan music). Instead, you see Black Labs, Kangals (native shepherd dogs), and other mixed-breed beauties, along with sweet kitties of every color combination. Mind you – these are not starving, sickly animals. Most look – and are – well-fed and are pretty well taken care of by the locals. Outside of many apartments, businesses, and at bus stops you will find plastic containers filled with water. Several local restaurants or markets give the animals leftovers, and many locals give the animals their scraps or pet food. We recently ate at a local fish restaurant with outdoor seating, and trust me when I say the cats there eat much better than my own pampered kitty.
Parks are also a safe-haven for the cats and dogs of the streets. Several parks feature cat and dog houses, along with food and water bowls. Additionally, there are several signs and posters to make people aware of the consequences of doing anything to damage the well-being of these animals, and the legal actions that can be taken against any individual violating these animals rights.
The Turkish government has chosen to regulate the dog population the best it can by using catch-and-release techniques, as opposed to the common practice of euthanasia of unwanted or unclaimed dogs in the United States. Of course, any city budget only allows for so much, but dogs that are caught are spayed or neutered, receive vaccines, are treated for any illnesses or infections, and receive ear-tags for identification before being re-released to the neighborhood where they were originally found. Several localities attempt to re-home the animals if possible. Others offer the option of giving the animal a “protective family”, who can provide care, but cannot keep the animal in their home.
Unfortunately, from what I can tell, the campaign that seems to be containing the dog population is not in effect, or at least not as effective, for the stray cats. Several of the cats I see on the street are pregnant, and I have come across several new kitten friends at parks and bus stops. I’m going to look further into this, and hopefully can spend some of my time here figuring out a way to help, even in a small way. As much as I adore making new kitty friends, it is important to keep the population at bay in order to continue to take good care of the babes that do live on the streets.
It has been common to have roaming cats and dogs in Turkish culture for hundreds of years. Maybe this is what stems the compassion the animals receive, or maybe it is just our nature to step up when we see a pup or kitty in need. Maybe other countries could consider Antalya, and create – what I consider to be – a much more humane policy for our cat and dog friends living on the streets.
Check out @sarperduman on Instagram - great pianist from Istanbul who rescues injured street cats
