A Warm Welcome

It can get very cold in Istanbul in winter, and it takes a toll on the stray cats who live there without shelter. So Imam Mustafa Efe offered to let them live in his mosque during the winter, and the cats accepted his kind offer and moved in their whole families, including the mama cat you’ll see in the video.

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Article, more photos at Good magazine. Submitted by AJ.

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29 thoughts on “A Warm Welcome

  1. dubravkamcvmd January 28, 2016 / 1:47 pm

    Back at the old ranch, we had nominations for the Men of Cuteoverload calendar. I’d like to make the first nomination for the Men of NTMTOM calendar.

    • Faye January 28, 2016 / 2:03 pm

      Fine and dandy. I also nominate the Kinkajou owner. I refrained from posting that I would be happy to curl up on his chest anytime. There I said it.

      • Catwhisperer January 28, 2016 / 9:53 pm

        You go, Faye!

    • mayitaazul January 28, 2016 / 2:04 pm

      I second this motion!

    • Laura January 28, 2016 / 2:11 pm

      I third it! Both parts!

      • Rachel January 28, 2016 / 6:40 pm

        I fourth it! (Hi, Mom!)

        • Debg January 28, 2016 / 8:28 pm

          I fifth.

        • Laura January 28, 2016 / 10:18 pm

          Hi, daughter! Clearly, I’ve raised you with good taste in men. 🙂

  2. Kar January 28, 2016 / 2:05 pm

    NTMTOM of course will be the charter and founding member…

    Honestly though, kittens in the pulpit are not a good idea. That things wired for sound. Can you imaging this guy giving a sermon/homily/reading and accidentally stepping on a tail? I’m imagining a loud MEOW!!! through the mosque

    Or one of those little white kittens climbing up the side and checking out the mike during the services? Actually, I need to see that.

    • Barb and Paul January 28, 2016 / 2:09 pm

      Another Cute Ex-Pat here. That video is so awesome and heartwarming. Thank you for giving us another place to go NTMTOM.

      • Smartypants January 28, 2016 / 4:26 pm

        Hi Barb and Paul – glad you found your way over here!

        • amyliz January 28, 2016 / 5:23 pm

          Hi Barb and Paul! As a fellow CO refugee, I welcome you here! This is a good place!

          • Debg January 28, 2016 / 8:29 pm

            What Smartypants and Amyliz said!

  3. amyliz January 28, 2016 / 2:13 pm

    This makes me happy!?

  4. Faye January 28, 2016 / 2:55 pm

    I sure hope momma cat saved all the kitties. Now she needs some towels.

    • AJ January 28, 2016 / 5:22 pm

      She was a momma on a mission. I loved at the end when she was licking them, it looked like she was counting them to make sure they were all accounted for – “Ok, 1, 2, where’s the brown one, oh there he is, get over here, 4”. LOL.

      • Smartypants January 29, 2016 / 10:12 am

        …and that light-colored kitten – “I haz feets – I just don’t know how to work them yet!”

  5. murkle46 January 28, 2016 / 3:44 pm

    Mohammed had a kitty.The cat fell asleep on his sleeve,so he cut the sleeve off to keep from waking the puss-puss up.

    • Debg January 28, 2016 / 9:42 pm

      I’d forgotten that! All cat lovers take heed.

  6. Saffron January 28, 2016 / 4:12 pm

    Such a kind man. It makes my heart happy.

  7. jlamusings January 28, 2016 / 5:17 pm

    Yes to everything everyone else has said: calendar (what picture would NTMTOM chose to represent himself? Hmmm) and kind man and cute story! 🙂

    • Smartypants January 28, 2016 / 5:23 pm

      …and the inside of the mosque is lovely too!

  8. Mr. Max January 28, 2016 / 9:34 pm

    So nice to see this kind of story about someone who the Trumpinator would like to keep out of the US. I would far rather have a lot of kind people, regardless of their faith (or lack thereof) entering this country than a couple of blowhhards like The Belligerent TaterTot at the front of the GOP pack. More power to this fine imam for showing the best of humanity!

    • Kar January 28, 2016 / 10:27 pm

      I like that they obviously relaxed the “no females” in that section of the mosque.

    • amyliz January 29, 2016 / 3:31 am

      YES to what Mr. Max said!

  9. viola1000 January 29, 2016 / 6:17 am

    This is beyond adorable squeeeeeeeee (I was totally applauding in front of my computer when momma made it up all those steps with her bebe in her mouf)

  10. patris January 29, 2016 / 9:39 am

    Istanbul not Constantinople, indeed. THEY might be giants, Mike, but you are a titan.

    • Jlamusings January 30, 2016 / 11:29 am

      Ha! Yes. And his website lights a little birdhouse in my soul… (Wow that sounds weird if you don’t get the reference! Must go dig up that cd to enjoy the fun again…)

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