Stray animals are a common sight in many cities and some people go out of their way to make their lives a little easier. In Shymkent, the owner of Mary’s Coffee installed a handmade shelter for a stray cat named Moti right next to her cozy local café, where she had found him just two weeks earlier. She also began feeding him and giving him water.
«He is now our tailed neighbor and part of the coffee shop’s soul,» she wrote on social media. Her post quickly sparked a wave of public support and appreciation.
However, the heartwarming story didn’t move local authorities. A representative from the city administration demanded that the shelter be removed, triggering public outrage.
According to the café owner, she simply wanted to help the animal and never expected her kind gesture to draw complaints from the authorities.
«I just wanted to do something good, but things turned out the way they always do,» she wrote online. «I didn’t even think this little house could bother anyone.» She also reassured followers that Moti would not be abandoned.
Some social media users questioned whether the woman who demanded the shelter’s removal was truly affiliated with the mayor’s office. However, the café owner confirmed that the woman had shown official identification.
In response, the public overwhelmingly sided with the coffee shop, criticizing the local government’s actions. Many drew comparisons to Istanbul, where stray cats are considered an integral part of city life, and small shelters for them are a common sight.
In contrast to Shymkent, Tashkent International Airport, less than 150 kilometers away, has introduced shelters for stray cats as part of a national initiative promoting humane treatment of animals. The cozy kennels, designed by students from the Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, provide cats with sheltered sleeping spaces and food bowls under a roof.
