KitKat, a corner store cat who patrolled and slept alot in Randa’s Market on 16th Street, was allegedly run over by a Waymo vehicle, inciting what could be a fresh wave of anti-robot sentiment in San Francisco.
Corner store/bodega cats are beloved mascots in SF neighborhoods. They’ve been lovingly mapped in recent years, and made the subject of listicles. And there might have been none quite as locally famous as KitKat, who is the star of Randa’s Market’s Instagram account, and was the top-listed cat in an SFGate roundup five years ago.
As Daniel Zeidan, the son of the store’s owner, told SFGate, “The atmosphere in the store definitely changed after KitKat arrived. Not only did customers come in more often but many also brought him gifts, like toys, blankets, beds and even food. Someone recently brought him a blanket so he would stay warm in the winter.”
The store’s Instagram announced the death of KitKat on Tuesday, saying, “We’re heartbroken to share that our beloved store cat, KitKat, has passed away. He brought warmth, smiles, and comfort to everyone who walked through our doors. Thank you to all who loved him as much as we did. The store won’t be the same without his little paws padding around.”
As Mission Local reports, and this has not been independently confirmed, KitKat was found “dying in the street” Monday night, and “numerous friends and neighbors said the cat was hit and killed by a Waymo autonomous vehicle. (The Instagram post also does not mention this.)
Owner Mike Zeidan confirmed this to the SF Standard, and an anonymous 311 call described a Waymo hitting the cat while he sat on the sidewalk next to the transit lane. It’s unclear how this happened, or if the Waymo somehow got onto the sidewalk, but someone who was in a car behind the Waymo told the publication that the robocar “swerved in front of us last night at approx 11:40” and “some folks on the sidewalk started yelling and grabbed the cat right out from under where the Waymo swerved from.”
Waymo has not offered any comment or confirmation of the incident.
A memorial is growing on the sidewalk where KitKat would often sit, including flowers and at least one incendiary message: “Kill a Waymo! Save a Cat!”
Photo via Randa’s/Instagram
Jessica Chapdelaine, a bartender at Delirium who lives above the bar, tells Mission Loca, ‘It’s sad. Everyone’s heartbroken. I’ve been crying all fucking day and night.”
Stay tuned for updates, if and when Waymo comments.