42 Comments
May 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

Dear Michael:

As a confirmed cat person, I'm glad there seems to be a nirvana for the felines of the planet. I'd be right at home with the feline citizens of Istanbul. Take care.

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May 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

Amazing ! If I ever get to Istanbul I will bring some dog treats 😀

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May 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

I would never leave the streets! I also read that part about you having to "save" Brent from petting certain animals and literally spit out my wine because this is absolutely something my husband has had to do too! LOL

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A delightful story! Those cats really do look well cared for, but I feel sorry for the dogs! They really do crave love in a way that cats don’t. But I appreciate your respect and non-judgmental attitude toward the culture and country you are visiting and writing about.

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May 2, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

Not about cats or dogs, but if you like Istanbul and you like fiction, I highly recommend 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak. One of my favorite novels (also, I loved Istanbul the one time I visited).

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I love cats. Whenever I've been flat on my back recuperating from a surgery, where was my 90-pound German Sheppard? Out chasing crows in the pasture. Where was Rambo, my cat? Spread all over my lap. He had great taste in the videos we watched.

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May 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

Love this. So many of the places we've traveled, we've found ourselves with a cat for the week. Our favorite omen.

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May 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

I love this. Cats are the best, and I agree that Istanbul has a very unique relationsihp with its cat population. I just wanted to add for your readers that if they want more, there's an amazing documentary about the cats of Istanbul called Kedi. It's so, so wonderful and makes me emotional just to think about it. Love you you both, Brent and Michael. Thanks for taking me travelling with you!

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Did you ever hear about the Cat Man of Aleppo? He was evidently helping with cats after the earthquake in Syria recently: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2267341/middle-east

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May 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

When Rick and I were at the Hagia Sofia, there was a cat sitting in the middle of an interior doorway., doing what cats do...which is ignoring everyone as they walked by. It was charming. And of course the Hagia Sofia was amazing! I miss my cats too, but with all of our travel, it's not fair to leave them alone, even with our neighbor who took care of them and adored them.

Pet a cat for me please!

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Do those cat condominiums have HOAs? That's a story worth investigating on a repeat journey.

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May 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen

Excellent post. I have dogs, but I love cats, too. At times, I’ve had both. Islam’s disdain for dogs is as irrational as it’s love for cats. And others.

Their loss! Love is love, right?

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This really blew me away, I had no idea about Istanbul and the cats.

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We just got back from a trip to Istanbul and seeing the very many cats! It was lovely to eat dinner in a company of not one but two cats at our table. A dog lover myself, I appreciated seeing the stray dogs, especially since many of them had chips in their ears (as seen in your photo). I noticed how calm and friendly the strays were compared to yapping dogs that were leashed. After leaving in the U.S., it was so refreshing to see how people and and stray animals can co-exist so peacefully. Thank you for this reminder!

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I look forward to bonding with 1 bazillion cats when we end up in Istanbul in the coming months!

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Fine writer and reader of Substack—we are starting a movement to get a poetry section added to the platform. Can I ask, are you with us?

https://substack.com/profile/10309929-david/note/c-15579327

If so, please consider clicking the above link and liking the Notes post—leave a comment or even share within your own community. Poetry lives on in the minds of hearts of writers, it breathes on the page.

Your voice can be heard among the starry illuminations, howling at the moon.

Thank you for your time and support.

Love and appreciation,

David

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