Lazy in life, lazing in death: Tombili the fat cat gets a statue

Buddha belly hanging out, paws up, Tombili the chunky cat became a worldwide viral sensation for the laid-back pose he struck while lounging against a street curb in Istanbul.

He looked like a dude just hanging out on a stool at the neighborhood bar.

Once pictures of his pose hit Reddit, he was a star. Memes popped up. People Photoshopped glasses of wine and other props into his photo. He got his own Facebook page.

Tombili passed on to that great litter box in the sky in August. His passing was announced with fliers posted around his neighborhood, according to The Daily Mail.

“You will live in our hearts. Mascot of our street, beloved TOMBILI lost his struggle for life after a month and closed his eyes to life on first of August,” it read.

But his fans weren’t ready to let him go. So they launched a petition asking the city to give him a statue. More than 17,000 signatures later, he got one — a bronze likeness dedicated on Tuesday, World Animal Day.

It was installed on the same steps of the same street where fame found him in his neighborhood.

Rest in passivity, dude.

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Lazy in life, lazing in death: Tombili the fat cat gets a statue."