- liveletroam
Oh the kitties we'll see - Fethiye & Pamukkale
Cat lover's view when traveling
In Greece we got to spend time with some lovable kitties. But I knew coming up that Turkey was known for its cats. On social media, you can see them hanging out on train turnstiles and chilling in regular shops. We prepped by watching the documentary "Kedi" about the cats in Istanbul to get a feel for what we may see.
When we got to Fethiye we were not disappointed. With the chaos of having to find a new place to stay, I dare say the kitty might have even sealed the deal. We mentioned in Episode 16 the cute hotel cat we named Waffles. We can see they had a food bowl set up for her and another cat, although they were a little timid than Waffles. While checking in she came up to me and snuggled as Eric coordinated our hotel stay.
Every morning and evening I would see her walk the tables with her adoring baby eyes to melt the hearts of the patrons and get a little treat. During the day she would go about her way making all of Reception her lounge area even including the ceiling grates.
Waffles was also kind enough to take part in our promo shot for the budget episode bond villain pic with Eric.
Roaming outside the hotel area we met another kitty and a dog while visiting the Ancient Tombs in Fethiye. As we were ascending to the entrance I saw the cat on a rock facade and "pspspspsps" her over and she came. She came and nuzzled her head a few times and I wished I had some spare treats to share.
As we were waiting to ascend to the top of one of the largest rock tombs, I noticed a fuzzy figure. It was not a cat, but a sweet little dog speckled just so that he blended in with the rocks. I named him Buster and said he was the tombs guardian angel, and he even starred in our Indiana Jones-inspired Instagram reel.
We were approached by a black and white cat who we regretfully tried to explain we had no treats on us. As we proceeded to head back to our hotel, the kitty followed us, meowing for several minutes. At one point in our walk another cat tried to come up to us and she hissed her away. Not at us but the other cat. We were on her watch, and if anyone is getting something from these humans, she was. I knew then that all these Turkish kitties were going to yank on my heartstrings.
Pamukkale
In Pamukkale, we had just a few cat sitings and even a flock of sheep on lawn duty by our hotel. Both cats we did spot were at the transport bus stations to help keep us company. I especially love what appears to be the judging looks on their faces and in their posture.
On the travertines I made a little calcium clay kitty to keep me company pictured above as I nestled in the pools. Heading to the pools early enough we did meet a white stray dog that walked with several folks on the travertines.
These cats and sometimes dogs were just a teaser of what we would experience in Izmir which was our next stop.
I wanted to share some links to groups and individuals who are working on helping these animals in Turkey. Learn more:
https://www.spcai.org/our-work/shelter-support-fund/shelter-list/bgd
Live Let Roam Friend Kasey: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaseywho,https://www.instagram.com/akakasey/
About the author:
Christy is an artist/creative spirit & blogger/podcaster with a passion for many things especially the arts, nature, and weird things around the world.