Thank You!
Our heartfelt thanks to all who helped bring this book to life:
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​Fatih DaÄŸlı of Cat Museum Istanbul – for sending the Istanbul cat energy to our artist
as she finished the drawings; for showing us around the museum and inviting us to imagine its future;
and for all the brainstorming. Thank you for believing in us — and in this project.
Mimar Meral Olcay of Yedikule Animal Shelter – for walking us through the shelter that day
and showing us what true care for the city’s abandoned animals looks like. The reality opened
our eyes, broke our hearts, but left us with deep admiration for those who took action.
Hilary Sable of Cihangir Cool for Cats – for the serendipity of your street cat feeding, timed
so perfectly with our random neighborhood stroll. Fate clearly had a plan. Thank you for the laughter,
the rescue stories, and for helping this book find its way back to the Cihangir streets that inspired it.
Özgür Nevres, the software engineer who built a backyard sanctuary in Bahçeköy for street cats –
for your insight, compassion, and friendship. Thank you for making time for two strangers
who came asking about neighborhood cats.
İkram Töre, ErdoÄŸan Aydemir, Anna Ezdiari, Stephen Glick, and Philippa Grant for your interest and support;
and last but not least, Karl Mautner for your help, encouragement, and love.
Special Thanks (Istanbul Edition):
Burçin Kimmet of Robinson Crusoe 389 – for being the first to welcome this project with such openess,
and for giving us the confidence we needed more than you probably have realized.
Petek Tokuz of Minoa – for seeing the heart of the project so quickly and so graciously letting us into
the beautiful world of Minoa Pera, making our time with you a sheer joy.
Ahmet Boratav of Zerobooks – for your key support with the publishing and for helping us
navigate the details that made the Istanbul edition possible at all.
Zeynep Kazmaz and Toycan Dikbayır of Print Center – for your patience, guidance and craftsmanship throughout.
Your true partnership brings this edition to life.
Last but not least, Rustem Bogdanov and the CatHunter Team – for capturing the spirit of Istanbul’s
street cats in ways that echoed through our own storytelling.
Your project wove itself into this book more than we could have imagined.
And to all the cats of Istanbul who led us here – thank you for letting us follow.






