Istanbul in particular is notable, not just for the sheer number of stray cats but by how ingrained they are into everyday life—so much so that they got their documentary film, Kedi.
Among all the stray cats roaming the Turkish city, one managed to stand out with her carefree attitude… and the city ensured that she would be remembered for years to come.
A street cat named Tombili – a common Turkish nickname for chubby animals – has always been a favorite of locals. With her hefty figure and habit of leaning on the sidewalk in a very relaxed pose, Tombili was a cat who seemed to have it all figured out.
She became even more famous when photos of her iconic pose were posted online. There’s just something so relatable about this cat.
Tombili remained a favorite: people often visited her at her usual spot on the sidewalk in the district of Kadıköy, where she would be lounging around without a care in the world.
She had a good life… but unfortunately, Tombili passed away on August 1, 2016.
Most stray cats would be forgotten, but because Tombili was such a fixture of the community, the citizens of Istanbul decided to honor her legacy as an icon of the Turkish stray cat world in a big way.
They made a statue of her!
Heartbroken locals wanted to put up a memorial for the world-famous stray, and a Change.org petition was created to put up a statue.
“We hope that Tombili, who has been the mascot of the neighborhood for 11 years and whose reputation has spread beyond Kadıköy, is remembered and not forgotten similarly,” the petition reads.
The campaign was a success, an artist Seval Şahin volunteered to create the statue. It depicts Tombili in her famous pose, and it was installed in her usual spot.
The statue was unveiled on October 4, World Animal Protection Day.
It’s a way for people to come and remember their old friends… humans and animals alike.
One photo shows a cat coming to pay respects to the late icon:
Rest in peace, Tombili! You’re gone but never forgotten.