"When people left, the cats started coming to me," Mohammad Alaa Jaleel, who lives in Aleppo, Syria, told BBC News.
Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, has been an almost constant battleground since 2012 as opposing forces have tried to gain control of the city.
"Since everyone left the country, including my own friends, these cats have become my friends here," he said. "I'll stay with them no matter what happens."He's not the only one.