- Gacek the cat made headlines this year for becoming the top-rated attraction in Szczecin, Poland.
- The fat cat, after living on the streets for years, found a new home after his fame took off.
A fat black-and-white cat that became the top-rated tourist attraction in Szczecin, Poland, has been taken off the streets — and even adopted a healthier lifestyle.
Gacek the cat, whose name means "long-eared bat" in Polish, first came to fame in 2020 when he was featured in a YouTube video by Polish outlet wSzczecinie.
The hefty feline for years lived in a covered wooden box on Szczecin's Kaszubska Street, where he was often fed by passersby, ultimately amassing thousands of reviews and a five-star rating on Google Maps. The cat's high rating even beat out the Polish city's other tourist attractions, including a Pomeranian Dukes' Castle that dates back to 1346.
An initial Google Maps listing for Gacek had 2,600 reviews before it was removed, while a second listing that replaced it had over 500, Insider reported in February. As of Tuesday, it appeared there was no longer a listing for Gacek.
That could be because the cat has found a new home.
After going viral again earlier this year, some people expressed concern about the cat's health, wondering if tourists were overfeeding him treats, the media outlet Notes from Poland reported. After Gacek experienced problems with his teeth and joints, the city's Animal Welfare Association brought him in to be treated, and a veterinarian recommended the cat lose 9 to 11 pounds, per Notes from Poland.
In September, the animal shelter announced on Facebook that Gacek had been adopted and finally found a new home.
The shelter shared another update on Gacek last week showing off how the formerly fat cat lost weight and transformed into a slimmer, healthier feline.
"From now on, call me George…George Clooney in cat version, yes that's the new me," the shelter wrote in the post, according to a translation shared by Notes from Poland. "I'm fit and I feel good about it. I run up the stairs, jump on countertops."
The post also urged followers to donate cat food in order to help other cats adopt the "miracle diet" that helped Gacek shed his extra pounds.