Bodega Cats of New York

46 comments

Hi everyone! Today I have a great book to tell you about titled, Bodega Cats of New York: Portraits and Stories From New York City’s Working Cats by Dan Rimada and photographs by Gulce Kilkis.

*Disclosure: I received a digital copy of Bodega Cats of New York in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own. 

For the past 4 years, the author has been all over NYC getting to know cats that live in bodegas (neighborhood stores). I haven’t been to NYC in years, but knowing there are so many cats to visit makes me want to go. The book contains the stories of the first 60 cats he met as well as beautiful photos of them.

I noticed there were a lot of torties in the mix including two male torties too,Zorro and Zeus. They all look well cared for, but there was no information about whether or not they receive vet care. The author has been working with legislature on a bill to protect these working cats. His website has a lot of information on it about bodega acts including things you can do if you think they need help.

The book is divided into 4 parts- The Shift, The Anchor, The Draw and Neighborhood Watch depending on what a particular cat does. Some of the cats are very popular with people bringing them gifts while others came with the store.

One store owner really impressed me. He has 3 store cats, 7 at home and he spends 15 thousand dollars a month for the care and rental space where he has 17 cats up for adoption- that is dedication. He has rescued thousands. Sadly, there are not a lot of people like him out there.

Overall, the book is uplifting and shows how cats and humans need one another. I wish every cat had a real home, but living in a store in exchange for rodent control is better than living on the streets. And all of these cats are clearly loved by all who know them.

There are a couple sad parts as with any book about cats, but it is definitely worth reading. You can read some of their stories, including Oreo’s, he is a polydactyl tuxie. You can also preorder a copy of the 240 page hardcover book. Click here.

 

46 comments

  2. That sure does sound like a great read.
    One of the local shoe stores here had a resident kitty, too. And a greenhouse I know not too far from here has several kitties. Also a hardware/farm store I go to now and then. Not sure what those kitties do when they have chicks in the springtime…LOL!

  4. Wow! That sounds a great book. Several stores in Blue Ridge, Ga have resident cats and dogs. They also leave bowls of water and kibble outside the store for the local furbabies.

  5. Living in the store and being loved and admired and cared for is a great life for many cats. We have a few around here, my Sweetie sniffs them out and then visits them regularly! Thanks for the info about the book, I’m very interested in legislation to protect such animals.

  6. That’s really a good idea to have work cats. Outdoor cats, especially need to know how to care for themselves. Just like wild animals in National Parks. I hate it when tourists feed the animals. That doesn’t help them. It makes them dependent on people for their food which usually goes really bad for the animals in the end. I know cats aren’t like “wild animals” but still if you feed them then they can’t do some their job like rodent control. Every creature has a purpose. I understand it’s hard for some people to not want to feed them, just like my mom who gets strapped with cats who find their way to her home. She can’t take them a shelter because of her age and she hates the idea of them going hungry so she sets food out for them. This just encourages more strays and often the strays are females which means kittens eventually are born. Oh well…enough on that. At least some city cats have found a way to make it on their own with the help of kind shop owners. Interesting book!

    1. Maybe there is a rescue you could call for her that could at least trap and neuter them. These cats are fed. I would never not feed a cat. XO

  8. Sounds like a great read. Taking care of cats is a noble thing to do.

    Thank you for joining the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.

    Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week. Scritches to the kitties and a big hug to mom. ♥

  10. Charlee: “Well obviously I would be The Draw, with my adorable little mustache and beard.”
    Oona: “Oona would be excellent at Neighborhood Watch. She sees all, knows all, and strikes without warning. LIKE A NINJA.”
    Chaplin: “I guess that leaves me to be The Anchor, because I’m the one who keeps everything together.”
    Charlee (muttering): “Or the one who weighs everything down.”

  11. Love this book! How cool to see a book featured about cats around New York City. Thanks for your review on a cool book.

  15. I would love to read that book! Way back in the day when I had a blog by the name of Rural Rambles I started following a blog where the couple had given a home to a bodega cat. The owner of the shop passed away and they knew him and loved their bodega cat. He was a panther. I lost touch with them.
    Thanks for sharing the review about this book, Ellen!

  20. These are amazing stories with some incredible folks attached to them. 😀 Thank you for sharing. On a side note, I’m always impressed that you ever visited NYC. A local mid 80’s band we were following invited fans to go with them but my boyfriend worried about crime. I noted that we had no money to steal but he insinuated other things.

    He featured in my story, by the way; I think what turned out to be mild autism annoyed his father to the point of abusing his junior namesake. While I digress, I guess what I mean is that we cannot have enough kindness in this world. And so I cannot thank you enough for yours. Blessings and hugs, my dear.

    1. I love NYC, been many times and hope to go again. I hope you can get there. Never had any problems any of the times and some of the times we were not in the best areas. XO

  21. MERCI FOR THIS REVIEW. And what a marvelous idea to write about working kitties. We feel that all kitties do a bit of work for us, no matter where they live, because they give us all such an uplifting feeling each day when we are with (or without) them!!! Wonderful book. Will order

  22. Sounds like a good book to read about the store cats. I’ve seen one or two at places here, and the vet’s ofices usually have one that roams around greeting everyone that comes in. It is wonderful for people to care for these cats. 🙂

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