Yeşim the cat became world-famous four years ago when videos of her approaching a Turkish butcher like a customer and receiving offal for free went viral. The stray cat passed away three years ago but Ikram Korkmazer kept her memory alive by helping other stray animals. Some 20 cats and dogs are among the regular customers of his shop in Turgutlu, a town in western Turkish province of Manisa.
Korkmazer and Yeşim had reached celebrity status years ago and bonded over pieces of offal he gave the cat before Yeşim succumbed to an illness. The butcher did not forget the cat and buried his loyal customer in a grave at his farmhouse. Since then, Korkmazer dedicated himself to feeding more stray animals. He also shares videos of his act, something he calls spreading the “joy of feeding strays.”
“My followers on social media ask me to post more videos and sometimes send food to feed the animals. I am glad to promote my country, my town as an animal lover,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday.
The butcher says he has made friends with more animals since Yeşim and they visit him almost every day. “Sometimes, they line up outside the shop before I arrive in the morning. Cats come in when I open the shop while dogs wait outside. I don’t keep them waiting and first thing in the morning, I deliver them food. They appear so happy and come later in the day for more food,” he says.
Currently, Korkmazer attends to the needs of 12 dogs and eight cats. He says a cat he called “Sarıkız” (Blonde Girl) is his “favorite.” “She comes here every day and climbs upon a statuette of a lamb here in the shop. She acts like a customer (like Yeşim) and people love videos of her I post on social media,” he says.
Stray animals are a staple of daily life in Turkey and rely on the kindness of strangers for food. Last year, a “beggar” cat resorting to “acting” to convince customers of a market in Istanbul to buy him food, had gone viral for his antics.
