Yeşim the cat has become world-famous four years ago when videos of she approaches a turkish butcher like a customer and reception of offal for free has gone viral. The stray cat died three years ago but Ikram Korkmazer kept her memory living by helping other stray animals. About twenty cats and dogs are among the regular customers of his shop in Turgutlu, a city in western province of Turkey of Manisa.
Korkmazer and Yeşim had achieved celebrity status years ago and bonded over rooms of offal he gave to the cat before Yeşim succumbed to an illness. The butcher did not forget the cat and buried son loyal client in a grave on his farm. Since then, Korkmazer has dedicated itself to food more stray animals. He also shares videos of son act, something he calls spreading “joy of feed stray animals.
“My followers on social media ask me post more videos and sometimes send food to feed the animals. I am happy to promote my country, my city as animal lovers,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA). on Monday.
The butcher says he has made friends with more animals from Yeşim and they visit him almost every day. “Sometimes they do the queue up outside the shop Before I arrive in the morning. The cats come in when I open the shop while the dogs wait outside. I don’t make them wait and first thing in in the morning, I deliver food to them. They seem so happy and come later in the day for more food”, he says.
Currently, Korkmazer meets the needs of 12 dogs and eight cats. He says a cat he called “Sarıkız” (Blonde Girl) is son “favorite.” “She comes here every day and climbs on a statuette of a lamb here in the shop. She acts like a customer (like Yesim) and people love videos of she i post on social media,” he says.
Stray animals are a must of daily life in Turkey and count on kindness of strangers for food. Last yeara “begging” cat using “game” to convince customers of a market in Istanbul to buy him food, had gone viral for his antics.
