It is not difficult at all to lead a more harmonious life with the street animals we share our city with. It is enough to accurately determine their needs and sensitivity.
The ones going outside Turkey for vacation, work or living purposes say the same thing: It feels like there is something missing on the streets here. We now tell you the cause of the missing feeling: no concept of street animals in many countries in the world except Turkey. So it is almost impossible to see a cat lying in a subway entrance in Europe and the USA, or a dog in front of a shop.
Do we have enough information about street animals that are an integral part of daily life in our country and add joy to our day? Or have you ever thought about what we can do for them?
Make regular feed stations
Unfortunately, in recent years we have been shaken by the news of violence against many animals that have deeply affected us. Fortunately, especially in big cities, there are animal associations and municipalities to help of our little friends. The most important of these supports is, of course, feed stations. These stations, which can be found in the parks and gardens of districts such as Maltepe, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş, are unfortunately inadequate in terms of number. This is why we can provide more stations by making them in our neighborhood, on the street or in front of our apartment building, which will also prevent visual pollution. To build such stations, we can cut 5 liter pet bottles and form food / water tanks. Again, we can provide hygienic feeding to cats and dogs living in the streets by providing as much dry food / canned food as possible.
If you want to share the leftovers at home with our friends on the street, there are a few important things to be aware of: You shouldn't give them chicken bones or bony chicken, especially because dogs are strong by nature as they can chew the bones that become almost as sharp as a broken glass can damage our friends. Again, onion / garlic and fruit waste can have toxic effects on stray cats. Apart from these, you can easily share all the meat and dairy products from your home with the street animals.
Be aware of the behavior of street animals
Although it has decreased in recent years, unfortunately there is still a serious bias in our country about street animals. Especially being aware of street dogs believed to have the potential to attack at any moment can help you live in harmony with our loyal friends. The most important issue to know about this issue is the emergence of hunting instincts in a hungry street dog. Therefore, thanks to the food stations to be installed, the possibility of attacking dogs to a large extent can be avoided.
Again, it is necessary to accept that it’s normal that puppies bite. It can also make it easier for you to communicate with all dogs knowing that they are worried when they hide their tail / tilt their ears back, or want to play / love when their tail is down, their ears upright and their mouths open. Knowing that barking behavior in dogs is not much different from speaking behavior in humans is a proof that our friend who is barking indoors doesn't want to scare you.
Try to learn animals living in your neighborhood / street
If you don’t live in a building complex, you see a lot of street animals around where you live. Identifying the animals that are marking that area as a nest, can help to improve their living conditions, eliminate the dangers surrounding them and prevent uncontrolled reproduction of our little friends. You can get help from the municipal veterinary directorates or private clinics that provide free support to street animals.
Find out where you can get free clinical support
