Internet famous 'Lounging Cat' passes away, immortalized with a statue

A sculpture created in memory of 'Tombili,' the portly cat who became a social media phenomenon after being photographed posing on a sidewalk in Istanbul’s Ziverbey neighborhood, will be inaugurated on Oct. 4 on World Animal Day.

Tombili the "Lounging Cat"

This lounging cat has reached internet glory and we're sure you've seen this adorable picture in countless memes around the web chillin like a villain.

Following a Change.org campaign demanding that the Kadıköy Municipality arrange a commemorative sculpture of Tombili, who sadly passed away in August, sculptor Seval Şahin voluntarily erected the sculpture demonstrating Tombili’s iconic pose on the sidewalk.

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His death was announced by a notice hung on a tree in the neighborhood’s Güleç Street, reading: “You will live on in our hearts.”

Tombili was known for his cool and carefree behavior towards those who wanted to love and play with him, according to locals. 

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The name ‘Tombili’ is now frequently used for chubby pets in Turkish.

Gone but never forgotten.

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