Tourists flock to Greek Island just to see plus-sized local cat

A local cathas become a major tourist attraction, tempting feline fans from far and wide.

Millions of tourists head to Crete every year, keen to soak in its beautiful, sparkling seas and bask on its roasting-hot beaches. Now there is another reason to jet over to the Greek island.

Chonkus Maximus.

The hefty black-and-white cat has become a hit on the internet, where fans pore over highlights of his luxurious life on the Mediterranean idyll. They keep up to date with what he’s been up to by checking Chonkus’s Google Maps pin, which has more than 400 reviews.

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The sizeable furball hangs out at Akti Kanari, a beach in Chania, where he is listed as a historical landmark. Followers make the pilgrimage to meet him, snapping pics of the big boy as he basks in the sunshine, rolls on the quay beneath cars, and generally exudes all of the charm that has made him so beloved.

“He has transcended street‑cat status to become a viral sensation, tourist destination, and meme icon,” wrote one pilgrim.

Chonkus is not the only cat to spark tourist infrastructure around his sizeable frame. A hefty cat in Poland is also attracting throngs of feline enthusiasts from around the world.

The sizeable black-and-white cat named Gacek became an icon in his hometown of Szczecin, a large seaport whose previous residents include feminist icon Catherine the Great. The weight‑clad feline clocked up more than 2,500 reviews and achieved a near-perfect 4.9/5 score online, making him the town’s most popular attraction.

For years Gacek lived in a box on Kaszubska Street, winning the affection of locals who cared for and fed him. His international stardom was launched in 2020 after a local news outlet featured him in a viral video.

Since then, many people have journeyed to Szczecin to meet the “King of Kaszubska Street” for themselves. One visitor claimed they’d travelled from Oslo, Norway—close to 1,000 km—to meet the cat.

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“As expected, he didn’t pay any attention to me, which made the experience fully wholesome,” one visitor wrote. “If I could have dinner with anyone in the world, I would fly again in an instant to feed him. Can recommend!” Another said: “Good cat for a nice evening or even afternoon.”

Another wrote: “Fantastically handsome and superb fellow—Gacek graced us with his presence. We were humbly in awe of His Magnificence.” While Gacek was technically a street cat, he did have a box he called home and an owner who looked after him.