There’s a similar bill from Upper West Side Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal that would require standards of care for bodega cats, like mandatory neutering, food, and clean water.
Manny lives in a bodega on York Avenue and East 77th Street. His owners claim he knows how to hide from health inspectors. Photo/Gulce Kilkis Neighborhood Mascots
When taking photos of the bodega cats, Rimada said customers would beam with pride over their local feline making it into the book.
“There was like a sense of pride there, and I really didn’t expect that. I didn’t realize how much of like community anchors these cats are,” he said, adding that neighbors are “really devoted to their bodega cat” and notice when something’s wrong.
In his view, they’re woven into the city’s cultural fabric and a rare point of agreement in a polarized time.
“It doesn’t matter what side of the political ideology you’re on,” Rimada said. “Every single person in New York City agrees that bodega cats are the best thing ever, and we love them.”