Tombili (a common Turkish nickname for a chubby pet)[2] was a street cat who lived in Ziverbey in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul.

[5] After his death, a petition to honor his memory received 17,000 signatures and Kadıköy Mayor Aykurt Nuhoğlu agreed to officially commemorate his life.

A local sculptor, Seval Şahin, made a sculpture recreating the pose which had gained him fame, and was inaugurated for World Wildlife Day on October 4, 2016.

[6] Hundreds of people came to pay their respects, and Kadıköy deputy mayor Başar Necipoğlu spoke at the event, which was aired on Turkish TV.

A photo shared on social media showed the statue missing from its place, leaving behind only the sculpture's brass plaque.