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In a city crawling with cats, it takes a fabulous feline to truly stand out. Enter Tombili, a chubby white-bellied tabby cat with a peculiar penchant for slouching against steps rather than sitting atop them. Her friendly nature made her a beloved resident of Istanbul’s Ziverbey neighborhood. She was, as locals were quick to realize, a cool cat.
Tombili’s fame spread beyond her usual haunts after an image of her lounging in her preferred pose went viral online and became a meme. In the picture, she leans against a step, one paw draped over her tubby white tummy while the other rests atop the concrete. She’s poised as if about to ask a question, perhaps a casual inquiry about how long you’ve been coming to the neighborhood, before launching into her own life story.
If you’re a cat person with access to the internet, you’ve likely come across the image. The “Chill Cat” meme puts Tombili in a myriad of scenarios: settled on a lavish couch, beckoning someone to “paint her like one of their French girls;” dressed up like Julius Caesar, complete with a Roman toga; or lazed across her chosen perch with a drink.
Sadly, the beloved cat died in August of 2016. The district mayor commemorated the famous feline by installing a sculpture of Tombili in her iconic pose atop a step on World Animal Day. The sculpture was stolen a month after its installation, but after much public outcry, the thieves returned it to its original spot. People still visit to pay their respects to the internet star.
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November 16, 2017
Sources
- https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-dearly-departed-istanbul-cat-gets-a-commemorative-statue
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/10/outrage-after-istanbuls-iconic-celebrity-cat-statue-is-stolen/
- http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-37937351
- https://www.thedodo.com/famous-cat-honored-statue-2029283456.html
- https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tombili-cat-statue-istanbul_us_57f3cc84e4b0d0e1a9a9d362
- http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/tombili-chill-cat