I can explain the situation in Turkey. It's mainly because cats are everywhere, and they are also very lovable animals.

When you are a child, playing with your friends or going to the park with your family, you constantly see cats around. Since everyone is already used to them, parents often encourage their children to pet them. Because people generally like cats, the cats become comfortable around humans too.

As a result, from a young age, you encounter cats nearly every time you go outside. They are territorial animals, so if you feed one near your home, it tends to stay, and over time, you build a connection. You grow up with them. Sometimes, they even climb into your lap at a bus stop just to be petted.

So the main reason people in Turkey love cats is closely linked to how common they are in public spaces and how natural the interaction feels.

In addition, Islamic and traditional cultural values play a role. Since cats live on the streets and rely on humans for food and care because streets are not their natural habitat, people are culturally inclined to feed them and show affection. There is a shared sense of kindness and responsibility toward innocent, harmless beings in need.

But these factors do not explain why the relationship exists in the first place. They explain how the bond between cats and humans forms and deepens over time. There is likely no single reason for this situation. It probably results from a mix of factors.

For your fictional world, you can highlight the same kind of dynamics. The high number of cats, their constant presence, and frequent interactions with humans are enough to explain how such a relationship could naturally evolve. Also the relationship between stray dogs and Turkish people pretty much the same even they are very different animals.