Hi everyone! Today I have a great book to tell you about titled, Bogeda 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 Bogeda 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 bogedas (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 bogeda 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 rents another space for 15 thousand dollars a month 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.
