Cat lovers are heading to the Polish city of Szczecin to catch a glimpse of Gacek, a chubby black-and-white cat that’s become an Internet sensation. Sometimes found on a blanket in a small wooden box made by his owner, Gacek has lived more than 10 years on Kaszubska Street. His home has become the highest-rated attraction in the city, even marked on Google Maps. Having received scores of 5-star reviews, Gacek has beaten sights like Ducal Castle, a renaissance castle that sits atop a hill in Szczecin. Szymon Maksymiuk, who works for a tourist information center in Szczecin, said people have dubbed Gacek the “Kim Kardashian of the Cat World.” Some fans attribute the feline’s fame to his confidence, while others say it's his cuteness and celebrity status that attracts visitors to a city already known for its picturesque riverside setting, parks, and castles. While Gacek’s popularity pleases most people of the area, there are concerns. Marta Gluchowski, who works at the Szczecin Society for the Care of Animals, says people are offering the cat inappropriate food, which could cause problems for him down the road. As for Gacek, he seems unaffected by all the attention, as should be expected from a member of the feline family.
