We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

New smite cats recruited…

… I have returned from Istanbul and never have I seen a city with more cats. And in spite of many being feral, they are well fed and friendly. One of these days I hope to see if there is some way to see a return of the smite cats to samizdata (long standing readers will know what I am babbling about).

So un-smittting should be a bit faster now.

Tomb cat makes sure everyone stays dead

Outstanding craft beer

A cat called Sultan.  Total slut

Best raki, served with beet juice.  Marvellous.

Broken cat is broken.  Or maybe a fascist

Restaurant run by Atatรผrk fanboyz.  Great food, eye wateringly expensive

Bookseller cat is sleeping on the job

Excellent kebabs

Imam cat is resting in mosque courtyard

Iznik propane

All very civilized

24 comments to New smite cats recruited…

  • staghounds

    Did you have the shrimp at Omar’s on the Hipppodrome? Or at least some marble steak?

  • Marcher

    caption: “Tomb cat makes sure everyone stays dead”

    That is somewhat alarming. Bit of a problem with the undead in Istanbul?

  • Well there would be if not for all the cats, Marcher. There is a reason they all look so well fed.

  • jim jones

    I have just been watching Midnight Express, this has rather put me off the idea of traveling to Turkey

  • Andrew Duffin

    Does Istanbul have even more cats than Venice?

    Inquiring minds want to know.

  • Alisa

    Israel has more than Istanbul, and they look worse.

  • Does Istanbul have even more cats than Venice?

    Way more.

    Israel has more than Istanbul

    My host in Istanbul just got back from Israel and he disagrees there are more but agrees they look worse ๐Ÿ˜€ There are water bowls and plates of cat food everywhere in Istanbul, which is doubtless why the cats look good and are very friendly. So many people feed them.

  • Alisa

    Possibly, Perry – after all, counting cats is not my primary business ๐Ÿ˜€

  • Rob Fisher

    Impressed you managed to avoid being caught insulting Erdogan. Love the bookseller cat!

  • Snorri Godhi

    There are water bowls and plates of cat food everywhere in Istanbul, which is doubtless why the cats look good

    But what about the fleas and worms?

  • Well I communed with a lot of them and I do mean a lot, and noticed a remarkable lack of flea bitten worminess ๐Ÿ˜€ I really cannot explain why the hordes of street cats appear to be in such good condition (as per the pictures). It is possible more have owners than is apparent but that would mean ailurophilia might be giving islam a run for its money as the local religion ๐Ÿ˜‰ That said, the two are wholly compatible.

  • Possibly, Perry โ€“ after all, counting cats is not my primary business

    And it was Istanbul, not Zanzibar ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Alisa

    Yes, I was counting on you to notice that ๐Ÿ˜€

  • RAB

    Thanks for the name check both. We still struggle onward. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Alisa

    ๐Ÿ˜€

  • Snorri Godhi

    Maybe once a month it’s deworming day: everybody adds dewormer to the cat food bowls. Even if compliance is not much below 50%, it would probably be enough.

    Incidentally, i have been wondering about the ambiguous nature of domestic cats: they are as libertarian as any animal, and more than any other domestic animal; and yet, they play their most important role in societies based on grain agriculture, which are, broadly speaking, the least libertarian societies.

  • Paul Marks

    One thing I have in common with a certain religious and political-military leader is love of cats.

    “But Paul they are ruthless, cruel and sadistic”.

    Yes – I think that is why I like them.

  • Alisa

    I could never really understand what is so libertarian about cats.

  • Snorri Godhi

    Alisa: seriously?? Have you ever shared living quarters with a cat? do they behave as though they owe you anything?

  • Alisa

    Well, if they share quarters with me (not that they ever would – I’m not much of a cat person), I’d presume they do owe me shelter and food, at the very least? If they don’t feel that they so owe me, than I’d think that they are more of welfare spongers than libertarians.

  • RAB

    Well the thing about cats is they are supposed to be diffident and independent. Now from a left wing perspective, that makes them selfish Libertarians, just out for themselves, and I’m afraid they are.Not that Libertarians are… but you know what I mean.

    I have owned cats and dogs. I prefer dogs, because a dogs love is almost unconditional. It is part of the pack and will fearlessly defend you. Cats look at you and will take your love when on offer but piss off down the back alley to an old lady they know who feeds them better than you. This happened to two of our cats. Greener grass and all that. Our bonkers dog waits by the door when we are out to welcome us home.

  • Snorri Godhi

    “Take your love when on offer”? I don’t think that offering love is a good way to deal with cats. I think it best to sit and wait for them to come to your lap. Also, never talk loudly to them: they don’t like noisy people. When i had kittens, they were almost always there purring when i emerged from the bedroom in the morning or returned home in the evening.

    Cats might be spongers, but only out of necessity: they take every opportunity to catch their own food, and are willing to share it with their “owners” too! and they don’t vote for more welfare.

  • Alisa

    I think it best to sit and wait for them to come to your lap

    I’m allergic :-/

    As to the rest of your points, all true and well, but has nothing to do with libertarianism, just as your original remark did not ๐Ÿ™‚