Sculpture of iconic Istanbul cat ‘Tombili’ stolen

ISTANBUL

A sculpture created in memory of “Tombili,” a portly cat who became a social media phenomenon after being photographed posing on a sidewalk in Istanbul’s Ziverbey neighborhood, has been stolen from the sidewalk, Kadıköy Municipality announced on Nov. 8.

Twitter user Delal Arya first tweeted that the sculpture was not in its place, a month after it was inaugurated, sharing a picture showing the empty spot and the sculpture’s brass plaque. 

After an outcry on social media, the Kadıköy Municipality said in a tweet that the sculpture had been stolen.

The bronze sculpture was inaugurated on Oct. 4, World Animal Day, following a Change.org campaign demanding that the Kadıköy Municipality erect a commemorative sculpture of Tombili, who passed away in August after a month-long illness.

Sculptor Seval Şahin voluntarily erected the sculpture demonstrating Tombili’s iconic pose on the sidewalk.

Tombili’s fame spread worldwide after his iconic picture appeared on the viral site 9GAG. It was later adapted by various internet users to create memes, such as photoshopping him cradling a glass of tea or the alcoholic drink rakı.