Cat is like holy animal of Istanbul. Cats lie under parked cars, cats walk bridges rubbing themselves with fishermen’s feet, cats take sunbaths lying on luxurious hotels’ steps…
Cats have a special place in Islam. Mohammed was a big cat lover, as were several other important Muslim religious figures. So teachings about cats are plentiful in Islam, and they're nearly always about the goodness of cats. One story is how Mohammed so loved his cat that, when the cat fell asleep on his sleeve, Mohammed cut off the sleeve rather than to bother his little friend. A cat supposedly saved Mohammed at some point, too.