Gacek
 Gacek in Szczecin street. | |
| Species | Felis catus |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | ca. 2013 Szczecin |
| Nation from | Poland |
| Known for | Szczecin's top tourist attraction |
Gacek (Polish: [ˈɡat͡sɛk]) is a male domestic cat with tuxedo fur. Between 2020 and 2023, this homeless cat was a tourist attraction in Szczecin, Poland. In 2020, a video of Gacek was distributed around the world on social media. Tourists came to see Gacek in his usual location on Kaszubska street. He became over-fed, suffering obesity related conditions. Gacek was rescued by an animal shelter and recovered his health.[1]
Popularity
[edit]Local residents recall first seeing Gacek on Kaszubska street in the town centre in about 2013.[2] A wooden booth was built there to give him shelter.[3] In 2020, a German tourist uploaded a video of Gacek to YouTube.[4] The video was shared to millions of viewers around the world.[5]
The international news media reported Gacek's popularity.[6][7][8] Reuters called Gacek the "Kim Kardashian of the cat world", because many Gacek-themed merchandised appeared for sale on the street.[9]
On 20 March 2023, someone tried to grab Gacek but the cat escaped and the person fled.[10]
The Polish Institute for Animal Care (Towarzystwo Opieki nad Zwierzętami w Polsce), TOZ, admitted Gacek for care in April 2023. Gacek was 10 kg, about 4 kg overweight (about twice his expected size).[11] He also had gingivitis and arthritis. Gacek was treated under the care of a veterinarian.[12] Gacek recovered and was rehomed.[13]
Controversy arose amongst fans of Gacek when Google Maps removed reviews of the cat's location.[14] The Straits Times reported allegations that Gacek had stolen a sausage and scratched a person's forearm.[14]
Legacy
[edit]An online fundraising campaign in 2023 named "Gacek buys food for the homeless" secured over 9,500 Złoty for the care of homeless animals.[15] In 2024, the Szczecin government proposed a 180,000 Złoty project to commemorate Gacek which would include a monument, information boards and the neutering of 500 stray cats.[16]
The Kawiarnia Fundacji Kota Gacka (the Gacek Foundation cat cafe) opened on 13 December 2024. It aims to educate the public about cat care and rehome stray cats.[17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Pyka, Agata (2023-11-14). "Street cat who became Polish city's top-rated tourist attraction finds new home". Notes From Poland. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
- ^ Igor Szulim (4 April 2023). "Kot Gacek zniknął z ulicy Kaszubskiej. Wiemy, gdzie przebywa futrzak". national-geographic.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ "Fat black and white cat becomes Polish city's hottest tourist attraction". The Independent. 2023-02-20. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ Tilles, Daniel (2023-02-09). "Cat becomes Polish city's top-rated tourist attraction". Notes From Poland. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ Tilles, Daniel (2023-02-09). "Cat becomes Polish city's top-rated tourist attraction". Notes From Poland. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
- ^ Free, Cathy (2023-03-11). "This Polish city's top tourist attraction? A stray cat". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ Arwa Mahdawi (22 February 2023). "Would you travel thousands of miles to see an obese cat? How about an avian love triangle?". theguardian.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ Rebecca Ann Hughes (15 November 2023). "This Polish city's top-rated tourist attraction was a street cat until he was rehomed". euronews.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ "'Kim Kardashian of the cat world': Gacek draws tourists to Polish city". Reuters. 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ Zając, Julia (2023-03-31). "Próbowała ukraść słynnego szczecińskiego kota Gacka! Na szczęście jej się nie udało". Głos Szczeciński (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ "Gacek na ulicę już nie wróci. Słynny kot "emeryturę" spędzi w domu. Ma specjalne zadanie". TOK FM (in Polish). 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ "Gacek już nie wróci na ul. Kaszubską". 24kurier.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ Jagoda Różycka (14 November 2023). "Kot Gacek, najwyżej oceniana atrakcja Szczecina, znalazł nowy dom. Jest nie do poznania". gazeta.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Fat cat becomes Polish city's top tourist attraction". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2024-09-22. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ Laura Montoya (17 November 2023). "Street cat who became Szczecin's top-rated tourist attraction wows with stunning new look after losing weight and finding new home". thefirstnews.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ "CE/0006 – "Wiecznie żywy kot Gacek- rzeźba kota w rozmiarze rzeczywistym wraz z tablicą informacyjno-edukacyjną oraz kastracja 500 kotów wolnożyjących"". Budżet Obywatelski Szczecin 2024 (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ Wójcik, Leszek (2024-12-13). "Poznała go cała Polska. Kawiarnia kota Gacka w Szczecinie już otwarta [ZDJĘCIA]". Głos Szczeciński (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-12-26.