Istanbul's Cat Island

The people of Istanbul are noted for their love of cats. In addition to pets, the city has thousands of strays that people feed and interact with as a matter of course. The island of Heybeliada in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul, has become known as Cat Island. The 200 or so cats who live in the park there are clean, well-fed, and socialized to humans. If you stand still for a minute, or better yet, sit on a bench, they will approach you expecting affectionate petting. One hotel on the island warns visitors to not bother coming if you don't like to be around cats. They may be "community cats," but they are not exactly strays. Someone is providing these cats with everything they need so they don't have to fight with each other over resources. (via Fark)