Every day, he hugs the cat he found in front of his shop.

19.05.2026 13:31

In the Ardeşen district of Rize, the bond between Ferhat Hayat, a glassware shop owner, and a cat he found and adopted as a kitten at his doorstep is attracting attention. The cat comes to the shop every day and wraps its paws around Hayat's neck, and these moments are gaining interest on social media. Ferhat Hayat said, 'One day, while it was on the cash register, we made eye contact for no reason. When I opened my arms, it suddenly jumped onto my neck. From that day on, whenever I open my arms, it comes and hugs my neck.'

In the Ardeşen district of Rize, the bond between Ferhat Hayat, owner of a glassware shop, and the cat he found as a kitten at his door and adopted draws attention. The cat comes to the shop every day and puts its paws around Hayat's neck, and these moments attract interest on social media. Ferhat Hayat said, "One day, while it was on the cash register, we made eye contact for no reason. When I opened my arms, it suddenly jumped onto my neck. From that day on, whenever I open my arms, it comes and hugs my neck."

Ferhat Hayat, who runs a glassware shop in the district, found a kitten in an exhausted state at his door in the early days after opening his business about 1 year ago. Taking the cat in and adopting it, Hayat took care of all its needs and veterinary treatments. Over time, a bond formed between the cute cat, which regained its health, and the shopkeeper who rescued it. The cat, which comes to Hayat's shop routinely every day, jumps onto the counter section and places its paws on his neck. Footage of these moments attracts attention on social media.

'WHEN IT CAME TO OUR DOOR, IT WAS AS SMALL AS THE PALM OF A HAND'

Describing the bond between them, shopkeeper Ferhat Hayat said, "When we first opened the shop, it came to our door as a kitten as small as the palm of a hand. It was just opening its eyes and had no mother. We took it inside. It has been living with us for about 1 year. Every morning at the same time, it appears at the door from somewhere we don't know. It opens the shop with us and closes it with us. It spends 12-13 hours of the day in the shop, with us in its corner. When it got sick, I took it and had its treatment done at the vet."

'WHEN I OPENED MY ARMS, IT SUDDENLY JUMPED ONTO MY NECK'

Explaining the impact the footage created on social media, Hayat said, "One day, while it was on the cash register, we made eye contact for no reason. When I opened my arms, it suddenly jumped onto my neck. From that day on, whenever I open my arms, it comes and hugs my neck. I first wanted to show these moments to my mother. I took a screen recording from the security camera, compiled it, and uploaded it to social media. The footage spread more than I expected. Now, people from the Netherlands contact me to write articles, and people from Switzerland call and ask 'How can a cat behave like that?' I'm dealing with all these positive reactions now."