A Turkish man opened his home to dozens of stray cats when severe cold weather hit the city where he lives. To save the animals from the bitter cold, he decided to provide the cats in his neighborhood with temporary shelter in his own home.
Footage reportedly filmed in Kahramanmaraş shows more than 20 stray cats huddling in a room with a lit stove. The man filming the video says the animals are also regularly fed.
The cats quickly settled in. Boxes were converted into cozy houses in the room, with warm blankets laid out on the floor. While freezing and stormy weather rages outside, the cats warm themselves by the stove and calmly wait out the cold days in safety. The man also thanks fellow animal lovers who help him by providing food.
«It’s very cold outside, but I have the stove inside. I took them in so they can warm up,» he says in the video.
@gundemradartr Bir vatandaş, mahalledeki tüm kedileri hava soğuk diye evinde misafir etti. #gündem #haber #keşfet #kedi #kış ♬ orijinal ses – Sondakikageldi
According to the man, the door is always left open so the cats can go outside and come back in whenever they want. The video has already gone viral on social media, garnering thousands of comments. Users have thanked the man for his kindness and called his actions an example of true compassion.
«A man with a big heart.»
«God bless you.»
«Thank you, brother,» people wrote in the comments.
In Turkey, as in many other Muslim countries, cats are traditionally treated with warmth. Stray animals are found everywhere, especially in Istanbul, where cats roam freely on the streets, in cafés and in shops. Locals regularly feed them, set up small shelters for them and consider caring for them part of their culture and everyday life.
Last November, Channel 4 announced plans to make a documentary about Larry the Cat, the Cabinet Office’s Chief Mouser. The project will explore the British love of cats and how an ordinary cat became one of the country’s most recognizable figures.
