Chubby cat becomes top-rated tourist attraction in Polish city

Cat obsessives from across Europe have been flying to Poland to meet a city's top rated attraction – and he's totally adorable.

A fairly chunky black-and-white cat named Gacek is now a local an icon in Szczecin, a large sea port whose famous former residents include Catherine the Great.

But, now, its most remarkable attraction is more feline than human…

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The hefty kitty has become the top-rated tourist attraction in the Polish city, clocking up more than 2,500 reviews online and has got a near perfect 4.9/5 score, local news reports.

That's pretty unusual for a local tourist attraction so we wonder what about this famous feline has captured the minds of visitors, reports the Mirror.

For years Gacek has been living out of a box on Kaszubska Street, earning the affection and attention of locals who are keen to feed the hungry streetcat.

His international stardom was launched in 2020 after local news outlet wSzczecinie featured him in a video which went viral.

Since then many people have made the journey to Szszecin to meet the 'King of Kaszubska Street' for themselves.

One person claimed to have made the trip all the way from Oslo, Norway – a journey of close to 1,000kms – to meet the cat.

“As expected, he didn’t pay any attention to me which made the experience fully wholesome,” one visitor from Oslo wrote.

"If I could have a dinner with anyone in the world, I would fly again in an instant to feed him. Can recommend!"

“Good cat for a nice evening or even afternoon,” another commented.

Another wrote: "Fantastically handsome and superb fellow, Gacek graced us with his presence.

"We were humbly in awe of His Magnificence."

While Gacek is technically a street cat, he does have a box which he calls home, and an owner who looks after him.

An animal shelter in the city has begged people to stop feeding him though, as too much attention and treats from his admirers has led the famous fellow to put on some timber, Gazeta.pl reports.

While his chubbiness may make him seem cuter, obesity in animals like cats can cause major health issues.

So, while you can feel free to greet the adorable cat maybe leave the treats, sausages or lasagne at home.

“I happily pose for pictures, but please don’t stroke me while I’m having a nap,” a note by his home says.

Instagram pages have been set up in recent years to track Gacek's progress and post pictures of him so even if you're unable to fly out to meet him you can keep tabs on the rotund cat.

Luckily, anyone who wants to go and meet gorgeous Gacek can do so on the cheap.

Ryanair has flights from London Stanstead to Szszecin for as little as £20 – so you can go and take snaps of the local celeb for the price of a meal out.

On March 3 – when one £20 flight is listed – there are 84 hotels on booking.com listed for less than £50 a night.

The Moxy Szczecin City hotel is just a short walk away from where Gacek lives and will set you back around £47 a night for two people.

A standard room at the ELLA Apartament & Pokoje – on the same street – is just £32 a night for a bedroom for two.

Reviews of Gacek are currently a little hard to come by on Google Maps, as his specific page appears to have been removed although the reason is unclear.

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