Turkish man to pay alimony for cats for up to 10 years in divorce settlement

In a first of its kind for Turkey’s legal landscape, a man in Istanbul has agreed to pay alimony for two cats belonging to him and his ex-wife as part of a divorce settlement, reported Türkiye Today.

The couple, identified as Buğra B. and Ezgi B., mutually ended their two-year marriage.

As part of the settlement, the pair agreed that the two cats would stay in Ezgi’s care.

The alimony

The husband will pay 10,000 Turkish lira (S$308.60) every three months for up to ten years, or until the cats pass away, for veterinary care, food and other upkeep.

The amount will be adjusted annually in line with the nation’s inflation figures.

In addition, Buğra will also pay his ex-wife an additional 550,000 lira (S$17,000) in material compensation.

First case of officially recognised pet alimony

Under Turkish civil law, pets are technically regarded as “movable property”, which means that they do not have the same legal status as children or spouse-dependents.

Legal observers say this settlement may signal a shift in how courts and couples treat animals in divorce proceedings, as this appears to be Turkey’s first known divorce settlement to formally include financial support for pets, according to PA Turkey.

Animal welfare groups say the case marks progress toward viewing pets as family members rather than mere property.

Lawyer Aylin Esra Eren, as reported by the Kazinform International News Agency, stated that although the payments are not officially labelled as alimony, they function much like it by creating a long-term financial obligation for the animal’s care, akin to supporting a dependent.

Public reaction has ranged from amusement to approval, with many social media users praising the humane gesture of treating the pets as part of the family.

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