Whether it's in memes, stories, as characters or companions, cats are everywhere in our lives.
And it just so happens that this month is the perfect time to celebrate their presence.
International Cat Day hits globally on 8th August, offering us a legit excuse (as if we needed one...) to pay tribute to our feline friends the world over.
Famous Cats with Statues You Can Actually Visit
While most cats are content with ruling their own households, some have achieved immortality by being made into statues.
These aren't your average garden-variety cats either.
I'm talking about cats so legendary they've become tourist attractions. And in some cases, they have even generated wealth for their neighbourhoods.
From train station-saving cats to internet-famous street cats, these feline celebrities have clawed their way into permanent public displays across the globe.
Not only that, these are statues you can visit on your travels to pay homage to furry legends the world over.
1.) Tama the Station Cat - Wakayama, Japan
Wikimedia Commons / Takobou
The story of Japan's most famous feline, Tama, is an extraordinary one. Tama was a stray calico cat who wandered into Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Japan.
In January 2007, the railway planned to close the stop due to falling passenger numbers.
But, appointing Tama as Stationmaster saved the day.
She greeted passengers from a converted ticket booth while donning a specially made miniature stationmaster's hat.
Unsurprisingly, her presence quickly turned the stop-off point into a major draw.
She was promoted to Super Stationmaster and later Operating Officer, becoming the first cat to hold an executive-style position within a railway company.
Passenger numbers rose by around 17% in the first month. Tama's presence was eventually thought to have grown the local economy by around ¥1.1 billion (£5.6 million).
But Tama's popularity spread way beyond Kishi Station and even Japan.
When she passed away in June 2015 aged 16, more than 3,000 people attended her funeral.
Today, Kishi Station remains a magnet for visitors.
It's also home to a Tama statue, a train decorated in her likeness, a station building styled like a cat's face and a dedicated Tama Shrine.
2.) Tombili - Istanbul, Turkey
Wikimedia Commons / Johannes Nickel
Going viral before Tik Tok was even a thing, Tombili was one of the internet's first celebrity cats.
A laid-back stray cat from the Kadıköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, this chilled-out feline achieved global fame for his iconic pose.
That is, reclining casually on a pavement step with one paw draped over the edge.
His relaxed posture and round figure captured hearts both locally and online, turning him into a meme.
Not to mention a beloved symbol of Istanbul's street cat culture.
After Tombili passed away in August 2016, local residents launched a petition to have him honoured with a statue.
Kadıköy Municipality agreed and artist Seval Şahin created a bronze sculpture exactly recreating Tombili's famous pose.
Unveiled on World Animal Day on 4th October 2016, his statue drew hundreds of mourners who left flowers, cat food and messages.
Tombili's statue has since become a cherished part of Kadıköy, a big visitor attraction and a reminder of a chill cat who brought joy and laughs to millions around the world.
3.) Hodge - London, UK
Wikimedia Commons / Ceridwen
Nestled in Gough Square, Holborn, just beside the historic home of Dr Samuel Johnson, stands a charming bronze statue of his beloved feline companion, Hodge the Cat.
Created by sculptor Jon Bickley and unveiled in September 1997, Hodge sits proudly on a copy of Johnson's famous Dictionary of the English Language.
He also has a pair of empty oyster shells at his paws. This is a nod to Johnson's habit of buying oysters for Hodge.
Today, the statue has become a beloved gem among visitors to London.
Travellers stop to place coins in the oyster shells as a good luck gesture and lean in to give Hodge a little pat.
His modest scale makes him feel like a friendly companion, giving literary heritage and heartwarming feline lore.
4.) Towser the Mouser - Glenturret Distillery, Scotland
Image owned by and used with permission from the Glenturret Distillery, Scotland
If you find yourself exploring the rolling hills of Perthshire, make a stop at the Glenturret Distillery in Crieff.
Not just for the whisky, but to pay tribute to one of Scotland's most legendary residents, Towser the Mouser.
Living at the distillery from 1963 to 1987, the long-haired tortoiseshell reportedly caught 28,899 mice in her lifetime.
This remarkable feat earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records and the hearts of whisky lovers everywhere.
Towser wasn't just a feline employee; she was a pest-control prodigy and a local celebrity.
Honouring her legacy, Glenturret created a bronze statue of their furry friend, which sits today on her pedestal.
For travellers with a soft spot for quirky local legends, Towser's story is a perfect blend of history, humour and Highland hospitality.
5.) Hamish McHamish - St Andrews, Scotland
Wikimedia Commons / Natcounts
In the coastal town of St Andrews, Scotland, lived Hamish McHamish, a shaggy ginger-and-white feline born in 1999.
Although initially owned by a retired BBC producer, Hamish quickly adopted a life of adventure.
He made his mark roaming homes, shops, university halls and streets across the town.
Loved by locals and tourists alike, Hamish amassed thousands of social media followers and became so well-known that he featured in TV segments.
There was even a book written about his antics.
By 2014, Hamish's fame inspired the town to launch a fundraising campaign for a statue in his honour.
Created by sculptor David Annand, the life-size bronze statue was funded by over £5,000 raised from public donations and placed on Church Square in the town centre.
The unveiling was fittingly attended by Hamish himself, who turned up, bumped into his bronze likeness and then sauntered off. Classic Hamish behavior.
Hamish passed away on 11th September 2014. His death prompted heartfelt tributes across the town and beyond and his memory is kept alive through the Hamish Foundation.
6.) The Monument of Panteleymon - Kyiv, Ukraine
Wikimedia Commons / Sergij Pylypenko
In the heart of Kyiv, near the Golden Gate, stands the Monument to Panteleymon the Persian Cat. Or as locals lovingly called him, Pantyusha.
And this bronze statue is more than a quirky photo spot. It's a tribute to a cherished feline who captured the hearts of a neighbourhood.
Pantyusha lived in a restaurant beside the city's Golden Gate and became a much-loved fixture of the area.
According to the most well-known story, he tragically died of smoke inhalation when a fire broke out in the restaurant.
Devastated by the loss, the restaurant's owners, staff and customers came together to fund a statue in his honour.
It captures Pantyusha in a playful, lifelike pose; a symbol of the joy and liveliness animals bring to urban life.
Today, the monument stands not only as a sweet nod to one cat's memory, but also as a reminder of Kyiv's love for animals and the comforting bond between humans and their fuzzy companions.
7.) Jurga Ivanauskaitė's Memorial - Vilnius, Lithuania
Image used with permission of Go Vilnius
In Lithuania's capital city, you'll find a striking sculpture simply named 'Cat'.
While it doesn't refer to a specific cat, the statue is dedicated to the beloved Lithuanian writer Jurga Ivanauskaitė and is very much worth seeing when you're in Vilnius.
It honours not just her memory, but her vivid, creative spirit. And, of course, her well-known love of cats.
Weighing in at ten tonnes, the feline sits in Jurga Square on Aguonų Street, outside Ivanauskaitė's former home.
Created by sculptor Ksenija Jaroševaitė and unveiled in 2009, the statue is made from local Lithuanian stone sourced near Kurtuvėnai.
What better excuse to stop off in one of Europe's most intriguing capital cities and bask in the joy cats bring to our days?
8.) Rysiek the Cat, Gdańsk, Poland
In 2024, a life-size bronze sculpture of a cat named Rysiek was unveiled at the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway (PKM) Firoga stop in Gdańsk.
Created by sculptor Blanka Kamińska, it honours a cat who became a local legend for loyally accompanying his owner to the train station daily.
Rysiek would pause by the platform bench - the very spot where his likeness now sits.
Commissioned by the PKM, the sculpture quickly gained attention, turning the modest station into a symbol of loyalty, friendship and feline fame.
The good news is, Rysiek is still around today. Although he has swapped railway fame for a quieter life with his owner.
He was, however, the star guest at the unveiling of his own statue just last year.
If you're visiting Gdansk, you know where to head.
9.) Room 8 the Cat - Los Angeles, USA
Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection / Art Worden
In 1952, a grey-striped cat wandered into Elysian Heights Elementary School in Echo Park, Los Angeles and quietly adopted it as his own.
Named Room 8 after the classroom he favoured, he showed up like clockwork every school year and vanished during the summers, only to return again in autumn.
For over a decade, he lived among the students and teachers, napping on desks and being read to in class.
By the 1960s, Room 8 had become a local legend and a national celebrity.
News crews filmed his return to school each year and he received up to 100 fan letters a day.
His fame led to the creation of a children's book, a song by Leo Kottke and recently, a documentary.
When he could no longer manage the walk to school, the janitor carried him there every afternoon.
Room 8 passed away in 1968, but you can pay your respects at his gravestone at Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park.
10.) Trim the Cat - Sydney, Australia
Wikimedia Commons / Rcbutcher
Captain Matthew Flinders was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer.
He had quite the prolific naval career in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
During his career, he led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia.
Flinders is also credited as being the first person to use the word 'Australia' in reference to the continent.
Not bad for someone who only lived to 40.
He didn't achieve these feats alone, however. Behind every good man is a good cat and his was Trim.
Thought to have been born on board Flinders' ship in 1799, Trim was named after the butler Corporal Trim in Laurence Sterne's novel Tristram Shandy.
Trim won the hearts of all who encountered him and led as action-packed an existence as his master.
During his lifetime, Trim fell into the sea and climbed back out countless times, swam ashore to safety following a shipwreck, survived being stranded on a desert island for seven weeks and kept his master company while he was imprisoned.
Unfortunately, he went missing at just five years old during the latter adventure, never to be seen again.
The duo, possibly the most adventurous to be committed to bronze, are now immortalised outside the Mitchell Library in Sydney.
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FAQs - Famous Cats with Statues You Can Actually Visit
1. Where are the Most Famous Cat Statues in the world?
Japan's Tama the Station Cat and Istanbul's Tombili lead the pack for international recognition and tourist appeal.
2. Is There a Statue of the Meme Cat Tombili in Turkey?
Yes! Tombili's bronze statue sits in Istanbul's Kadıköy district, positioned exactly where she used to lounge. It was crowdfunded by locals and has become a pilgrimage site for meme lovers and cat enthusiasts.
3. What is the Most Famous Cat Statue in Japan?
Tama the Station Cat at Kishi Station in Wakayama is probably Japan's best-known cat statue. As the "Super Station Master" who saved a railway station, her bronze bust represents one of the most successful working cats in history.
4. Are there any Cat-Related Tourist Attractions for International Cat Day?
Absolutely! From Japan's cat islands to the famous cat statues mentioned above, there are numerous feline-focused destinations perfect for International Cat Day celebrations. Many cities with famous cat statues even host special events on 8th August, making it an ideal time to plan your cat statue tour.
5. Who is the Most Famous Cat Ever?
Some of the most famous cats include Nala the world's most-followed cat with 4.4 million followers and counting, Ernest Hemingway's cats, Scarlett the cat who saved her kittens from a fire in New York, Creme Puff, who at aged 38 was the oldest cat ever recorded and Orangey the movie star cat, who appeared in films such as Breakfast at Tiffany's.
