Cat wins over human, feline hearts at Erbil's bazaar

Tucked in the shadows of Erbil's citadel is the main market. Its tight alleys and corridors hustle and bustle for the day's wares. Most wouldn't notice a feline basking under the sun, not skittering away from the shoppers and shopkeepers.

"If this cat disappears for one hour, we look for him. It goes to the castle or further down. Sometimes it sleeps there and we are unaware of it. We are sad when it disappears. We want to see the cat to always be around," Hamada Bilbas, the cat's caretaker, told Rudaw.

Bilbas doesn't do it alone, friends help to feed and provide water for the semi-long-haired Orange and White Cymric who has garnered attention on social media.

"We want people in the market to be friends with animals," explained Bilbas.

However, the cat often wanders away from the bazaar and into the citadel to meet a certain friend.

"He has a female cat friend," revealed Bilbas.