A cat gave birth on the pulpit of a 500-year-old mosque, the municipality took care of them

A cat in Elazığ gave birth under the minbar of the 500-year-old Ahmet Bey Mosque in the historic Harput neighborhood. Elazığ Municipality took care of the cat and her unhealthy newborn kittens. Harput neighborhood Ahmet Bey Mosque Prayer Leader Muhammed Atıf Yağışan noticed a cat while performing the noon prayer. When the cat ran under the minbar, Muhammed Atıf Yağışan used a flashlight to see underneath and realized that the cat was giving birth. Unable to throw the kittens on the street, the imam decided to take care of the mother and her 3 kittens in the empty space under the minbar. However, upon observing that the cat was unwell, the imam reported the situation to the Elazığ Municipality Veterinary Affairs Directorate. Following the report, the teams arrived at the historic 500-year-old mosque and took the mother cat and her 3 kittens, placing them in a cage. Later on, the cats were transported to the Elazığ Municipality Temporary Animal Care and Rehabilitation Center. It was reported that after the necessary examinations and monitoring by veterinarians, the cat and her kittens would be released back into their habitat. Imam Muhammed Atıf Yağışan stated, ‘I noticed that the cat was in labor after performing the noon prayer in our mosque, and it went inside and went under the minbar. I heard a moaning sound. Upon looking under the cushion, I saw that the cat was giving birth. I realized that the cat was in distress. I called the Veterinary Affairs Directorate and informed the teams. They came here, took the cats, and left. They will take care of their illnesses.’ Muammer Turgut, a staff member of the Veterinary Affairs Directorate, said, ‘A complaint was made to Elazığ Municipality Veterinary Affairs Directorate. It was reported that an animal had given birth at the historic Harput Ahmet Bey Mosque and was unwell. We came as a team and saw that the cat had given birth under the minbar. We took the cats, put them in a cage. We will take them to the Elazığ Municipality Temporary Animal Care and Rehabilitation Center and hand them over to the veterinarians. After the necessary examinations are done, we will release them back into nature.’