shot-button
E-paper E-paper
Home > News > World News > Article > Everyone loves Gacek

Everyone loves Gacek

Updated on: 19 February,2023 10:13 AM IST  |  Poland
A Correspondent |

A tuxedo fat cat is drawing visitors by the dozen to the Polish city of Szczecin

Everyone loves Gacek

Gacek rose to fame in 2020, after a local news site featured the cat in a video that subsequently went viral on social media

Gacek, an overweight street cat is the top-rated tourist attraction in the Polish city of Szczecin. Szczecin, a city in Poland, has plenty to offer to visitors, but everything falls pale in front of this cat. The tuxedo cat rose to fame in 2020, after a local news site featured the cat in a video that subsequently went viral on social media; people have been showering Gacek with positive reviews ever since.


According to a local woman, the cat was first seen in Kaszubska Street in downtown Szczecin around 10 years ago. He stuck around and people started liking him. Many of them also started feeding him—so from a skinny cat, he soon turned into a chunky boy, which made him more adorable. Gacek, whose name means “long-eared bat” in Polish has nearly 2,600 reviews on Google, more than any other attraction in the city. Most of those who posted a review awarded the purring feline the maximum five stars, making him the top-rated tourist attraction in the city.



According to Notes from Poland, the cat has a very few one-star reviews. He lives in a roofed wooden box outside a shop on Kaszubska Street, and even though he doesn’t have an owner, the people who run the shop act as his caretakers. There is a sign outside his house that tells passers-by to leave whatever treats they have for the cat in a sealed container and to refrain from petting him when he’s sleeping. Most of those who have interacted with this fluff ball have claimed that “he is fantastically handsome and a superb fellow”.

You’re as good as your mask

To avoid discrimination on looks, a Chinese company has been interviewing people who are masked-up

A company in Chengdu, China is being lauded for asking both job applicants and the recruiters to wear masks in order to avoid discrimination based on looks. Chengdu Ant Logistics recently made news after a video showing its recruitment process that went viral. Shot by one of the interviewees, this clip shows several masked people waiting to be interviewed by the masked recruiter. The company has put out a statement on the matter, claiming that the video was shot at its recent biannual recruitment fair and that the masks were introduced to eliminate bias based on looks. The company said it was done to reduce the candidates’ stress levels.

The Rock 2.0

Antonio Muratore, a 54-year-old from Milan, Italy, is drawing a lot of attention on social media for his resemblance to former wrestler and Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson. He also revealed that he has all 50 similar tattoos like the celebrity. “It’s an incredible situation to look like him. I would do anything to meet him one day,” the doppelganger said. He works as a part time actor and has gone as far as having the same 50 tattoos hoping that this he would make him more likely to get roles  as Johson’s body double. But that is not the case now, he is stopped by the beaches and the streets as people recognise the ink.

Sealed with a tattoo

A 34-year-old Thai resident, Mr Vall surprised his wife by tattooing their marriage certificate on his forearm as a V-Day present. “Whenever we fight or have disagreements, I will look at it to remember the days when we were both still passionate and crazy in.

Honey, I am home

A dog, Bailey, went missing from her new Texas home and returned two days later to the Animal Rescue League, after walking about 10 miles. Shelter staff received an alert from the facility’s doorbell and when they checked the camera, it was Bailey. They rushed to the shelter and brought her inside. “She slept so hard the whole night,” one of the staff said.

Screwed it for real

A 70-year-old Spanish woman realised something was amiss after experiencing respiratory infections. She visited the hospital in Pontevedra, where a chest X-ray revealed that she had a nine-mm metal screw in her lung for at least eight months. Doctors were able to remove the screw from her body in a few hours with the forceps.

The bear has travelled to Mars

NASA scientists have identified a formation on the Mars surface that looks similar to the face of a bear. The image was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter from a height of 251 km. The spacecraft captured this from its HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera, which is the most powerful ever to be deployed to another planet.

Classless or classy?

In a Facebook post, on a ‘Wedding Ideas’ group, a user posted a pair of customised wedding Crocs, which has sparked a debate between the ones Crocs lovers and the ones who absolutely hate it. “I hate few things in life, but Crocs are at the top of my list” one user commented. While the other one said, “It’s your wedding! If you want crocs, have crocs!”

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

Register for FREE
to continue reading !

This is not a paywall.
However, your registration helps us understand your preferences better and enables us to provide insightful and credible journalism for all our readers.

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK