{"id":315030,"date":"2026-08-06T07:50:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T07:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/315030\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T07:50:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T07:50:34","slug":"brooklyn-bodega-cats-to-be-featured-in-new-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/315030\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooklyn bodega cats to be featured in new book"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>SOUTHERN BROOKLYN \u2014 A popular Instagram account dedicated to documenting bodega cats will feature felines from Bay Ridge and Sunset Park in a new book.<\/p>\n

Bodega Cats of New York was created<\/a> by Dan Rimada. His first book will be released Nov. 3.<\/p>\n

Six cats from South Brooklyn made it to the book.<\/p>\n

The project began during the COVID-19 pandemic when the creator noticed Luna, a black and white bodega cat in Fort Greene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a chance to notice things across the city that I wouldn\u2019t have otherwise, like a bodega cat,\u201d Rimada said.<\/p>\n

Rimada grew up in the city and, until the pandemic, took bodega cats for granted. \u201cThey were just part of the infrastructure. They were just part of the store. They didn\u2019t really stand out in any special way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Klara.<\/a>Klara. Photo: Gulce Kilkis<\/p>\n

Rimada decided to start a small Instagram account to post pictures of the cats. Luna ended up being the inspiration for the logo. Within a year, the account had hundreds of followers who sent him photos of their local bodega cat.<\/p>\n

At first, he resisted, but he soon switched gears and started reposting everyone\u2019s photos. After that, the account took off in popularity. It currently has over 18,000 followers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eventually, a publisher approached Rimada about a book deal. Rimada and photographer Gulce Kilkis started taking pictures and documenting cats before they ever had the deal in place.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just knew that we wanted to start documenting them because no one had really done it the way that we were doing it,\u201d Rimada said. \u201cWe were like, \u2018Let\u2019s start, and then maybe an opportunity will roll in for people to see our work.\u2019 Then probably like a quarter of the way through, we got an email from Quarto Publishing, and they said, \u2018We saw your Instagram account, and we know what you\u2019re up to, and we\u2019re curious if you\u2019d want to do a book with us about bodega cats.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He described it as the \u201cquickest wrap-up of a book deal ever,\u201d and they ramped up their efforts. Rimada and Kilkis met after work and every weekend to meet cats, visiting 250 bodegas. Only 60 of those cats are included in the book.<\/p>\n

The book is called \u201cBodega Cats of New York: Portraits and Stories from \u2018New York City\u2019s Working Cats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bay Ridge cats featured in the book include Chapo, a brown mackerel tabby, and Klara, a vocal tortie.<\/p>\n

Blackie, from a Dyker Heights bodega, is described as a true void, solid black.\u00a0The book tells how a neighbor who lived on the block for 30 years never visited the store till she found out there was a cat. Now she comes just to give Blackie presents.<\/p>\n

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