What began as a single act of kindness toward a stray cat has turned into a life-changing mission for one Istanbul resident, who now cares for more than 100 street cats.
Özgür Nevres, a 50-year-old software developer, shared his story on Reddit this week under the username @ozgurnevres. In his post, he explained how a stray cat started visiting his office in January 2015. The young female cat returned daily until building management at Boğaziçi University banned animals indoors. Nevres decided to take her home.
Once there, he discovered she was pregnant. “She gave birth to five kittens,” Nevres told Newsweek. “Four of them still live with me, along with Lotto, their mother, and two more cats I later rescued.”
Though he never planned to adopt a pet before owning his own place, this experience opened his eyes to the struggles of street animals. “I used to think they managed to survive on their own,” he said. “But their lives are very difficult. They face hunger, illness, and injuries.”
That realization led Nevres to dedicate himself to helping stray animals in his city. He began practicing TNR (trap-neuter-return), a humane way to manage the stray population. Over time, his efforts grew into a large-scale rescue mission.
When his landlord’s daughter heard about his work, she offered one of her properties near Belgrad Forest to help. Nevres now uses the space to house many of the cats, covering all costs including food, shelter, and medical bills.
“Right now, over 100 cats stay there—40 to 50 permanently, while others come and go for meals,” he said. “There are also 12 dogs. We keep a heated area running 24/7 during the winter to make sure they stay warm and safe.”
Nevres also continues to care for stray animals throughout his neighborhood, offering food, medical attention, vaccinations, and parasite treatments.
Helping strays becomes especially important during the cold winter months. In a November 2024 article by Catster, Dr. Amanda Charles recommended building simple shelters out of cardboard and plastic and creating feeding stations with fresh water. She also warned pet lovers to check under their cars before starting them, as cats often seek warmth by crawling into engines.
Nevres’ story, along with photos of the cats he cares for, quickly gained attention online. His Reddit post received more than 6,500 upvotes and over 190 comments.
One commenter wrote, “I hope to be blessed with my own cat family one day. Wanna take over my city with cats, lol.”
Another user added, “I can’t imagine the effort. You’re doing awesome work. I have seven cats myself, and that’s already difficult.”
Though the task is never-ending, Nevres remains committed. “Seeing them healthy, happy, and safe makes it all worth it,” he said.
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