Poland’s Fat Cat

Poland’s most famous cat, who made headlines after becoming a top-rated tourist attraction, has found a new home and is now helping the local animal shelter raise funds to look after other cats.

Earlier this year, Gacek the cat (whose name means long-eared bat in Polish) became an internet sensation. He was listed on Google Maps as a tourist attraction. In 2020 local news outlet wSzczecinie published a video of the cat they called the “King of Kaszubska Street”. It has since been viewed over 5 million times and his story was reported by media outlets worldwide, including the New York Post and the Guardian.

There was a craze for the cat, with mugs and T-shirts bearing its image appearing in shops. However, fame also led to concern about his wellbeing, he was being overfed treats by tourists and he was diagnosed with joint and dental problems so, the Szczecin Animal Care Association had to decide to treat him and place him in a temporary home.

He is now helping raising money for the shelter where he was taken and people can donate cat food or contribute to a crowdfunding campaign called “Gacek buys food for the homeless”. So far, total donations have already exceeded the 7,000 zloty target initially set and a life-size sculpture of Gacek has been proposed andsubmitted to the Szczecin Council.