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Istanbul statue honors casually lounging cat

By Daniel Uria
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ISTANBUL, Turkey, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- A statue honoring a local cat who became famous for lounging casually on a set of stairs was unveiled in Istanbul.

The statue was unveiled in celebration of World Animal Day and depicts Tombili, a cat who became beloved in the area for resting its arm on a cement step while lying down on a lower level.

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Locals mourned the cat, who received the name Tombili for its chubby stature, after it died of an unknown illness on Aug. 10.

"You will live in our hearts. Mascot of our street, beloved TOMBILI lost his struggle for life after a month and closed his eyes to life on first of August," a note in memory of the cat read, according to The Dodo.

Soon after Tombili's death, an online petition circulated to have a statue built in memory of the beloved cat.

Seval Sahin recreated Tombili's famous pose and placed the statue in the cat's favorite spot.

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