The authorities of Kadıköy Disctict, where the monument was located, reported that the statue was missing in their official Twitter account and posted a photo of the place where the bronze cat shone. The authorities also assured the public that a new sculpture will be erected to replace the stolen one, Sputnik Turkey reported.
Kadıköy Belediyesi, İstanbul Ziverbey'de bulunan kedi Tombili'nin heykelinin çalındığını açıkladı. pic.twitter.com/5m0SIpA0Zf
— 140journos (@140journos) 8 ноября 2016 г.
According to Turkish news agency DNA, local butcher İlyas Çetinkaya was the first to report the theft. He fed Tombili while the cat was alive.
“Somebody has stolen it at night. When I woke up in the morning and went to my shop, the sculpture had disappeared, only the sign was left. Who could even think about doing this!” he sighed.
Kaldırıma yaslanan pozuyla #Kadıköy'ün sembolü olan kedi Tombili'nin heykeli kırılarak çalındı. https://t.co/bytaaa4I8j pic.twitter.com/ndGFFuklSJ
— Al Jazeera Türk (@AJTurk) 8 ноября 2016 г.
Whoever did it probably felt ashamed, because the statue reappeared on Thursday, Turkish news agency Dogan reported.
Sculptor Seval Sahin shared a photo of herself with it on Facebook. She thanked everyone on social media, and the press and TV for coverage, which helped to bring about the happy ending, she said.
The cat called Tombili became famous among Internet users all over the world for his contemplative look and very special "like a boss" posture, captured in a photo that later became an iconic meme.
When Tombili died on August 1, internet users launched a petition in which they asked the local government to make a statue for their beloved cat. Two months later, the sculpture was placed on his special spot.
The monument soon became one of Istanbul’s many tourist attractions. Local residents brought snacks and tee to it.
