Marcel Heijnen captures a fanatical portrait in “Istanbul’s City Cat”, the Savage Cat – Huge
In some parts of the world, stray animals are almost as beloved as pets. For example, thousands of dogs roam the streets of Cusco, Peru, and cats almost dominate the night in places like Athens, Valletta and Japan’s “Cat Islands”. Local residents often provide feeding and shelter for these roaming colonies, and for Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen, this human animal connection offers endless opportunities to experience the city center.
Heijnen, who had previously explored street cat cities in China and Hong Kong, recently brought the camera to Turkey’s largest city to document some of Europe’s most famous wild cats. Thames & Hudson’s upcoming book, Istanbul’s city cat, Celebrate the area’s local four-legged store waiters, guardians, hugs and perfect Snoozers.
Heijnen captures the spirit of Istanbul through portraits of its residents, shops, houses and occasional interactions. While some images focus on cats, others emphasize the extraordinary atmosphere of the city and playfully invite us to find habitats for cats or where to play. Many cats are recorded in the moment of rest, while others seem to be caught in red hands, climbing up architectural elements or embracing various prototypes of kittens chaos.
Check out more photos of Heijnen on his website and Instagram and book your copy Istanbul’s city cat In a bookstore. If you are in Istanbul in September, take it at 6pm on September 20 at the CAT Museum.
