Istanbul & Civilized Pet Societies
A society’s virtue can be measured by how it treats animals, especially the homeless ones; pet memorials and pet monuments are profound ways to celebrate those virtues. Istanbul, the storied Turkish city that straddles Europe and Asia, should be proud of one particular pet tribute. The residents of the bustling metropolis thoughtfully honored a street cat named Tombili (which means “Chubby”), who rose to internet fame due to a viral photo of the portly feline reclining like one of the locals.
Before skyrocketing to international fame, Tombili enjoyed neighborhood notoriety for her friendly disposition and chill sensibility. In fact, Tombili was so loved by her fellow citizens that upon her death in August of 2016, the people in her home district of Kadıköy, Turkey, launched a change.org campaign to fund a now-famous life-size bronze pet statue of Tombili, voluntarily crafted by sculptor Seval Şahin. A truly unique and inspiring pet monument to an unforgettable and universally loved cat who was adopted in spirit by her surrounding locals and worldwide online fans.
[More pet loss advice, insights, and resources: How to Write a Pet Eulogy, Pet Loss Condolences: What to Say and How to Say It, and Life After Loss: 5 Signs It’s Time for a New Pet.]
Striking an Unforgettable Pose
People love pets because they bring out our humanity. We talk to our pets in a different tone of voice than we do other people. We handle, hug, and interact with our pets in ways that are specifically reserved for their hearts and souls alone. Even the toughest, roughest, and most cynical of criminals and human misfits become affectionate and vulnerable when they communicate with pets – even if those pets are not their own. Tombili belonged to everyone in Turkey and the world.
All it took for Tombili to reach international fame was a simple reclining pose on some ordinary steps in a regular neighborhood in Istanbul. Countless people across the globe saw their own humanity in Tombili. They understood that wistful aspect of her demeanor, both contented and pensive – the kind of look a shopkeeper has on an average Tuesday afternoon, filled with gratitude for life’s blessings but also concern about the well-being of loved ones. Tombili had the look and expression of a common person in her pose, eyes, and face.
From Anonymity to Global Fame
Our pets are versions of us. Seeing ourselves in pets doesn’t make us as human beings selfish, but quite the opposite: it reflects our need to connect. To share our humanity with other living things. To see what is possible and real about our own existence in the animals that seek our attention and companionship. The pets in our lives bring out the humanity in each of us. Pets, we hope, do this willingly and on purpose because they feel we are worth it. And we hope pets feel that we treat them as worth it, too. People and pets, in an ideal world, share a mutually understood grace.
Like many street cats, no one knows where Tombili was born, but thanks to her affable personality and favorite reclining position, she will forever be part of the culture of Istanbul, and an ambassador for homeless cats – and their surrounding (and global) communities – everywhere. RIP Tombili.
[Visit more cat eulogies, cat funerals, and cat obituaries.]