Whether it's sneaking into the fridge or down a well, if your cat isn't meant to be there, then that's where you'll find it. Still, one restaurant in Turkey has been praised for its willingness to accommodate an unplanned guest.
In a post to Reddit forum r/cats on Sunday 24 April, u/keras_rk shared a video of a cat napping at their table while visiting a restaurant in Turkey. Although the cat and its devil-may-care attitude were beloved by viewers, it was the waitress's reaction to the furry interloper that really got Redditors laughing.
u/keras_rk explained: "Went to a restaurant in Turkey. Offered my friend a chair to find this stray sleeping in the chair. Asked a waitress to handle this situation. This was her "handling". Gotta love Turkey."
Instead of shooing the cat away, the waitress moves the feline and its chair to another table, where it continues to sleep peacefully.
Keras_rk told Newsweek they were visiting Turkey on vacation when they recorded the adorable footage. The restaurant is Mado, an ice cream shop on Bağdat Cd in Istanbul.
They said: "This cat is the restaurant cat. I saw him in this place pretty much every day.
"He looks like he is a staff there. But several times I saw him hanging around the building."
Keras_rk explained: "Walk into this restaurant and my girlfriend picks a seat by the window.
"While offering her a chair, I'm finding this guy sleeping there.
"I look at the waitress in a total confusion, I don't know what to do. And she did that.
"We all had a good laugh."
Redditors couldn't get enough of the situation, with B0off commenting: "5 stars."
StraylightHollowmoon said: "it would be an attraction of the restaurant."
Catzlady02 joked: "Oh, it's handled."
Turkey is known for its love of cats. In 2016, the documentary Kedi introduced the world to the country's unique approach to street cats and their welfare. The documentary—by Turkish filmmaker Ceyda Torun—followed the fortunes of felines living on Istanbul's streets and how they enrich the lives of those around them.
According to The Economist, cats are considered "ritually clean" animals in Islam. In Istanbul they are treated as community animals and not formally adopted, but looked after by a number of people locally.
Redditors were impressed by Turkey's dedication to taking care of its feral cats.
Alb1234 said: "I just Google "cats in turkey" and read the Wikipedia page for "Feral cats in Istanbul". My jaw was on the floor.
"I thought that was the nicest thing I have read in quite some time. I love cats.
"To know they're treated with such love and respect warmed my heart."
AProudCatDad added: "I love Turkey for how they treat cats as a country.
"Cad food dispensers all over, free treatment of strays. You'll find the country as a whole has a special love for cats."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
