Cat-napper tried to steal a ‘celebrity cat’ more famous than top tourist spots — but froze when she realized who was secretly watching
Not all tourist attractions come with grand buildings or historical landmarks. Sometimes, they walk on four paws, lounge in wooden boxes, and steal hearts and maybe sausages along the way. In the Polish city of Szczecin, one local icon became the center of both admiration and unexpected drama. Gacek, a chubby black-and-white street cat, had spent years charming visitors outside a small shop on Kaszubska Street. But in 2023, an incident tested just how fiercely the locals would protect their furry celebrity and proved that fame has its risks, even for a cat.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Gacek narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping when a woman allegedly tried to snatch him early one March morning. "A certain creature on March 20th, a little after 7 a.m., decided to try and steal Gacek." The then six-year-old cat, known as the “King of Kaszubska,” bolted under a nearby car while a bystander spotted the suspicious scene. The would-be thief jumped into a taxi and fled, leaving Gacek unharmed but social media buzzing.
“Of course it didn’t work out,” his carers shared. “Gacek ran away and hid under a car. The kidnapper got scared, too. The situation was seen by a trusted person from Gacek's area. After this, the attempted theft was stopped.” While the suspect wasn’t identified publicly, the message was clear: Gacek was being watched, and the community had his back.
Gacek’s fame had stretched beyond Poland’s borders. Tourists flew in from around the world just to meet him, often rating the experience higher than visiting Szczecin’s historical sites like the Philharmonic, the Castle of Pomeranian Dukes, or WWII tunnels. “If I could have dinner with anyone in the world, I would fly again in an instant to feed him,” shared Mr. Tomek Wilk with The Straits Times. Local shops sold bags with his face on them, and a viral video had drawn millions of views. But with all the love came challenges. His carers urged people not to overfeed him, as his weight had become a growing concern. Visitors were asked to leave treats in a special basket so his diet could be monitored.
“Gacek, whether he wanted it or not, became the hero of Szczecin, and the name of our city went around the world,” wrote local councilor Patryk Jaskulski, who even urged the mayor to officially name the cat an ambassador for free-living and homeless cats in the city. "Recently, the popularity of the cat Gacek [sic] — a free-living cat that has become an ambassador of other cats living in the wild — has become extremely high and is still growing."
Calls for turning Gacek’s popularity into positive change for other stray animals grew stronger. In an open letter, Jaskulski reminded officials that the State Treasury technically owned such animals and that local authorities were responsible for their care. "I am asking you to think about how to turn this unexpected success and fame so that other wild cats can benefit from it, which, according to estimates, may be even tens of thousands in our city." Meanwhile, Gacek continued to rest outside his wooden shelter, occasionally letting lucky tourists rub his belly or ignoring them entirely. Whatever his mood, he remained a symbol of the city’s heart.