Her name was Tombili, the beloved cat whose famous reclining pose was seen around the world. She has been immortalized in a statue to be unveiled on World Animal Day.
Tombili was a mascot in the neighborhood where she lived in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. Tombili, who passed away in August, spent her life on a dead-end street in the Ziverbey neighborhood, according to Bianet News.
But she was also looked after by geophysicist Serdar Ozalaybey and his wife, who took her in during the city’s harsh winters, according to an article on TrtWorld.
After she died in August, area residents announced her passing and put up this copy of her famous photo with this epitaph: “You will live in our hearts,” and posted it on trees in Güleç Çıkmazı where she spent her life, according to Bianet News.
A successful petition was begun by cat lover Batu Aksoy to erect a statue in her honor. “I hope Tombili’s statue will encourage people to cherish their relationships with the cats living on the streets,” Aksoy told TrtWorld.
The petition on Change.org, called for Tombili to be “remembered and not forgotten.”
More than 16,900 people signed the petition. Tombili’s statue by sculptor Seval Sahin will be officially unveiled on October 4, World Animal Day.
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