Famous feline goes viral, putting Polish city on the map

Record ID: 1714857

  • Title: Famous feline goes viral, putting Polish city on the map
  • Date: 10th March 2023
  • Summary: SZCZECIN, POLAND (MARCH 2, 2023) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE BROCHURES INSIDE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE SZCZECIN TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE EMPLOYEE, SZYMON MAKSYMIUK, HELPING VISITOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) SZCZECIN TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE EMPLOYEE, SZYMON MAKSYMIUK, SAYING: "Gacek tourism increased enormously. It was far beyond my expectation or imagination, I can’t even understand that properly, why such hype happens." MAKSYMIUK'S HANDS WHILE SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SZCZECIN TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE EMPLOYEE, SZYMON MAKSYMIUK, SAYING: "For example, there was a guy from Norway who took a flight. In this case, I will not believe that Gacek was the only reason because tourists from Scandinavia are quite common viewing Szczecin, but he claimed that Gacek really drove him to make the decision of arriving here and sightsee(ing) the city, so Gacek’s impact for Szczecin’s tourism and tourism development shouldn’t be underrated." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SZCZECIN TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE EMPLOYEE, SZYMON MAKSYMIUK, SAYING (OVER SHOT OF MAKSYMIUK CIRCLING AREA WHERE GACEK LIVES ON MAP): "After not more than five minutes, you reach Gacek's house, right here on Kaszubska Street." MAKSYMIUK CIRCLING AREA WHERE GACEK LIVES ON MAP SZCZECIN, POLAND (MARCH 1, 2023) (REUTERS) GACEK'S BOX FROM ACROSS THE ROAD, PEOPLE WALKING PAST GACEK SITTING IN BOX PEOPLE WALKING PAST GACEK'S BOX, POODLE LOOKING OVER (SOUNDBITE) (English) MONGOLIAN STUDENT, KHERLEN, SAYING: "I came to the city like the day before yesterday and I'm looking for that cat named Gacek. It was really cute and my friend told me about it, so I hope I will find the cat, maybe today, maybe tomorrow." SZCZECIN, POLAND (MARCH 2, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF SZCZECIN SOCIETY FOR THE CARE OF ANIMALS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGER AND MAIN VET AT THE SZCZECIN SOCIETY FOR THE CARE OF ANIMALS, PAWEL NIEJADLIK, SAYING: "The fact that he (has) suddenly became so famous is just, is heartwarming, but feeding not so much because he is already a little bit overweight due to the fact that he's been famous in Szczecin for a while and there was a lot of people coming in and feeding him." DOG HOUSES OUTSIDE SZCZECIN SOCIETY FOR THE CARE OF ANIMALS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGER AND MAIN VET AT THE SZCZECIN SOCIETY FOR THE CARE OF ANIMALS, PAWEL NIEJADLIK, SAYING: "Obesity in cats comes with a lot of potential side effects, like first thing, that a lot of weight puts a lot of strain on the muscular skeletal system, on the joints, the joints hurt, osteoarthritis may develop. There is also a risk of cardiovascular diseases, heart diseases, diabetes. So, potentially a lot of unwanted things that might occur from being just overweight." GACEK PEEPING OUT OF BOX, TWO SZCZECIN RESIDENTS KNEELING DOWN TO GREET HIM SIGN ABOVE GACEK'S BOX READING (Polish): "Hi!!! My name is GACEK. I have been living here, on Kaszubska Street, for 6 years. I am a free-living cat and I want to stay that way. I'm happy to pose for pictures, but please don't pet me while I'm taking a nap. Sachets and treats are always welcome. Close them, my owner will open them for me! Thank you for respecting my requests." TWO SZCZECIN RESIDENTS STROKING AND TAKING PHOTOS OF GACEK SZCZECIN, POLAND (MARCH 1, 2023) (REUTERS) CHURCH AND STREET WITH GACEK'S BOX, PEOPLE CROSSING STREET, CAR DRIVING ONTO STREET
  • Embargoed: 24th March 2023 11:10
  • Keywords: Gacek Poland Szczecin cat fat cat health obesity street cat tourism
  • Location: SZCZECIN AND GDANSK, POLAND
  • City: SZCZECIN AND GDANSK, POLAND
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: Europe,Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA006453003032023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A big black-and-white cat has become an internet sensation and major tourist attraction in the Polish city of Szczecin.
    Word is spreading across Poland about Gacek, who lives in a wooden house on a sidewalk near the city centre.
    “I heard about Gacek from my friends from Warsaw exactly,” Szczecin resident, Aleksandra Jankowska, told Reuters. “They sent me an article about him and here I am!”
    Szczecin Tourist Information Centre employee Szymon Maksymiuk said tourism to the city increased “enormously” since the Gacek frenzy started to take shape, and not just from people in Poland.

    “There was a guy from Norway who took a flight,” Maksymiuk recalled, adding, “he claimed that Gacek really drove him to make the decision of arriving here and sightsee(ing) the city.”
    Speaking to Reuters, Mongolian student Kherlen said, “I came to the city like the day before yesterday and I'm looking for that cat named Gacek. It was really cute and my friend told me about it, so I hope I will find the cat, maybe today, maybe tomorrow.”
    The famous feline's address is Szczecin’s most highly rated tourist attraction on Google Maps. Having received scores of five-star reviews, his Kaszubska Street pin has beaten sights including a Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle to the top spot.
    While some fans attribute Gacek’s fame to his confidence and cute face, others say it’s his celebrity status that is attracting visitors. Footage accompanied by the Gacek hashtag receives high levels of engagement on TikTok and Instagram. While a video posted on February 17 by @pomorzezachodnie, the official TikTok account for the Western Pomerania region where Szczecin is located, has received over 90,000 likes, an Instagram account dedicated to the cat boasts over 20,000 followers.

    A woman who owns a shop on Kaszubska Street cares for Gacek and feeds him raw meat. She puts a hot water bottle beside him when temperatures are low and takes him inside if heavy rain starts to fall.

    Yet despite her attentiveness, there are concerns Gacek is starting to look quite “chonky”, as passers-by disregard the sign above his house imploring people not to feed him.
    Admitting the cat is “already a little bit overweight,” the manager and main vet at the Szczecin Society for the Care of Animals, Pawel Niejadlik, told Reuters, “Obesity in cats comes with a lot of potential side effects.”

    “A lot of weight puts a lot of strain on the muscular skeletal system, on the joints, the joints hurt, osteoarthritis may develop. There is also a risk of cardiovascular diseases, heart diseases, diabetes,” he added.
    Nevertheless, many residents say they are pleased to have a feline celebrity call their city home. Grzegorz Warcholak, who was born and raised in Szczecin, told Reuters, “He’s so famous in the world so we can be proud of the cat who is living here."
    (Production: Francesca Halliwell, Lynne Schoeman)
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