Istanbul’s Real Bosses: The Cats 🐾 and a DIY Shelter Story

If you’ve ever gone to Istanbul, you know that the city belongs to cats, not people. They relax
on parked automobiles, guard store doors, nap on the chairs, and charm their way into everyone’s heart.

Essentially, they run the place. And, honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Where they live?

I’ve always loved how cats fit so seamlessly into the city’s rhythm. People feed them,
construct small houses for them on sidewalks, and always stop to pet a furry friend on their
way to work. It is a wonderful, unspoken understanding between the city and its feline inhabitants.

So I thought, why not give back in a way that is both creative and sustainable?
I have been collecting used plastic bottles and converting them into 3D printing filament using PETmachine.
(Yes, it’s a little geeky, but it’s also really fun.) And with this filament, I’ve been designing and
printing comfortable cat house, called PEThouse (catchy name haha). Consider modern cat architecture: elegant,
weather-resistant, and handcrafted with love.

PEThouse design

PEThouse v2.0 – assembly animation in Fusion360

The project is about more than just adorable cat housing. It’s about integrating design,
sustainability, and our city’s strong affinity for animals. PEThouse features a modular design constructed from individual 3D-printed panels—each made from a single recycled bottle. The panels are connected using zip ties, forming a sleek, modern capsule-like structure.

Shelter was designed with Istanbul’s street cats in mind. Large enough to share (maybe not my 1st prototype haha),
comfortable enough to nap all day, and sturdy enough to withstand the rainy winters. I’ve
placed it in cat-friendly place, and it has already been approved by some very picky
testers 😺

It’s a small gesture, but I hope it makes a significant difference in some whiskered lives.

More updates (and cat pics, obviously) will follow soon!

Love from Istanbul.