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Yasam - The Cat Who Inspired a Movement

Cat Yasam

You’re scared, you’re alone, and you’re sick. You feel helpless and you stop believing in that shooting star wish that you waited for. But you get lucky, and you stumble upon good people, who are willing to fight for you. 



That’s what happened to Yasam, a female cat from Bursa in Turkey who inspired a movement. Two years have passed since this little cat’s fate led her to Melih’s garden, who did what most of us might not be so passionate to do, and took Yasam to six vet clinics, in order to figure out what was wrong. 


That’s when they found out Yasam suffered from FIP - feline infectious peritonitis. Of course, treatment was expensive, but someone who will relentlessly fight for life wouldn’t let that stop them, and so Melih took her on and purchased her medication. That was the spark that ignited Yasam Animal Rescue. 



Taking Care of Cats as a Student

With Yasam Animal Rescue its founder Melih, though still a 22-years-old university student, has become notorious for his kindness, and is known around the neighbourhood as the go-to for any ill animal. It sometimes seems and feels for him that he is carrying the world on his shoulders, and you can imagine that’s not easy.


Currently taking care of more than nine cats, Melih has his hands full with cleaning, raising funds, giving treatments and left right, and trying to raise awareness for their cause.



While that is a lot of work, Melih recognises there are amazing parts of the work he does with Yasam Animal Rescue that make everything worth it. If a before and after picture of a suffering cat turned into a superhero doesn’t inspire you to join the cause, we don’t know what will. In the end, the real reward is the kitten’s progress. 


And it doesn’t take an army to support Melih and his Yasam Animal Rescue. Can you imagine that a simple like and share, a follow here and there, things we do every day, could actually have an impact? Simply telling your friend about Yasam Animal Rescue, and when in Turkey adopting a furry friend, or even stopping by in Bursa to play with them and to volunteer helping around are the easiest ways to show your support. 



Stories of Resilience

But we all see this. The work Yasam Animal Rescue does, the pictures, the stories, we know that. But what is going on behind the scenes, how does a regular day go in the life of Melih and the nine cats in their care. Well, Melih makes a point not to cage them, unless truly necessary, allowing them to roam free and live like any normal kitty would love to live. They play, they explore, they eat, just like you and me. 



Nine cats is definitely a party, but what makes them unique is their individual stories of resilience and recovery. Felix was rescued right before being sent to a shelter to be euthanized, while Jacob was in a traffic accident which caused a fracture, loss of blood, and an infection. Sugar broke and dislocated his femoral head and hips, and underwent surgery. Lucky and his four siblings suffer from calicivirus herpes, and lastly Leo, who has pneumonia. Fundraising efforts continue for all of their treatments. 



Yasam Animal Rescue Building a Community of Cat Helpers

Melih and his Yasam Animal Rescue have fostered a community of strong supporters, keeping 100% transparency, and updating us constantly on the cats. Still, they wish more people could find out about their cause, since resources are still scarce, and vet debts build up every day. 



You might be wondering, what is the government doing to support animals? Well, Melih underlines that he wishes the government would stop killing innocent animals, which isn’t an absurd request. NGOs struggle to share their receiving donations towards shelters such as Yasam’s Animal Rescue, and there is an unexplained gap between the government and NGOs that simply doesn’t cover the need for shelter that animals have, thus the number of independent rescue teams in Turkey. 



Throughout all of this, we need to remain grateful that there are people in this world like Melih who will dedicate time and effort, not to mention money, to saving the lives of innocent animals all around the world, and always try to contribute to their causes, in any way we can. We now learn that it doesn’t always have to be financial, and that we can do so much from the comfort of our homes, while they go out and fight for the helpless. Yasam Animal Rescue remains a ray of sunshine in the darkest dark, and helping them help the cats should be a priority for anyone who wants to support animals.


You can follow Yasam Animal Rescue at their Instagram account @yasam_animalrescue.




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