{"id":2078782,"date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2078782"},"modified":"2026-08-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T21:00:00","slug":"bodega-cats-of-new-york-advocates-for-the-citys-beloved-feline-shopkeepers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2078782","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Bodega Cats of New York\u2019 Advocates for the City\u2019s Beloved Feline Shopkeepers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-7.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a cat lounging on a counter in a New York City bodega\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images \u00a9 Gulce Kilkis and Dan Rimada, courtesy of Epic Ink, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">\u2018Bodega Cats of New York\u2019 Advocates for the City\u2019s Beloved Feline Shopkeepers<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-05T11:00:00-05:00\">August 5, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-books\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/books\/\" rel=\"tag\">Books<\/a><a class=\"category-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/photography\/\" rel=\"tag\">Photography<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fbodega-cats-of-new-york-dan-rimada-gulce-kilkis-book%2F&amp;title=%26%238216%3BBodega%20Cats%20of%20New%20York%26%238217%3B%20Advocates%20for%20the%20City%26%238217%3Bs%20Beloved%20Feline%20Shopkeepers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Share<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--pinterest\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fbodega-cats-of-new-york-dan-rimada-gulce-kilkis-book%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2Fbcny-7-960x1280.jpeg&amp;description=%26%238216%3BBodega%20Cats%20of%20New%20York%26%238217%3B%20Advocates%20for%20the%20City%26%238217%3Bs%20Beloved%20Feline%20Shopkeepers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share to Pinterest\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Pin<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--email\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email this article\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/bodega-cats-of-new-york-dan-rimada-gulce-kilkis-book\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"476476\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2022, New York resident and bonafide feline devotee Dan Rimada felt that something needed to be done to shine a light on the city\u2019s cats. The Big Apple not only has a real <a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalalliancenyc.org\/about-us\/nycfci\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">feral issue<\/a>, but many of these creatures make their homes in iconic shops found around the city: bodegas. Over time, locals get to know them and they become fixtures of shelves and countertops. Technically, though, New York City considers it a health code violation to have animals in businesses that serve food. In spite of that, thousands of cats serve as mousers and rat catchers, and a lot of people don\u2019t realize that the snoozy tabby nestled atop the Doritos bags is actually illegal.<\/p>\n<p>Rimada founded <a href=\"https:\/\/bodegacatsofnewyork.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bodega Cats of New York<\/a> to bring visibility to these beloved, informal shop staffers. This fall, a new book published by Epic Ink titled <em>Bodega Cats of New York<\/em> features 120 photos of 60 cats across all five boroughs along with their stories. The images are snapped by photographer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gulcekilkis.photography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gulce Kilkis<\/a>, who also runs the Instagram account <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/turkish_street_cats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@turkish_street_cats<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-3.jpg\" alt=\"a sleepy tabby cat in a comfy bed on the counter in a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476479\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Advocacy is as much a part of Rimada\u2019s mission as documenting kitties familiar to neighborhood customers, such as Oreo in Park Slope and Prince in SoHo. The type of care or attention the cats get can vary from store to store. Some are treated like royalty, while others are more like interlopers that are tolerated. Nevertheless, Rimada shares their individual stories and raises awareness of the wide range of realities for these animals.<\/p>\n<p>Although they are still in committee, two bills facilitated by Rimada have been introduced that would \u201cstop New York City agencies from treating a cat in a retail food store as an automatic New York City Health Code violation\u201d along with requiring voluntary, free vaccination and spay\/neuter programs. The other bill would legally allow cats in retail stores as long as they met veterinary requirements. \u201cWe want to protect what makes New York City feel like home,\u201d Rimada says in a statement. \u201cAnd that includes taking care of the cats that are a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Bodega Cats of New York<\/em> is slated for release in early November. Meet hundreds more feline friends on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/newyorkbodegacats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>, and pre-order your copy on the project\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/bodegacatsofnewyork.com\/book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a>. You might also enjoy Marcel Heijnen\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/07\/marcel-heijnen-city-cats-of-istanbul\/\">City Cats of Istanbul<\/a> <\/em>and a trip through art history with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/01\/cats-art-history-book\/\">Phaidon\u2019s <em>Cat<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-8.jpg\" alt=\"a white and gray cat on a snack shelf in a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476484\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-4.jpg\" alt=\"a tabby cat on the counter in a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476480\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-5.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-5.jpeg\" alt=\"a tabby sat next to a small bed at the window of a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476481\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-6.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-6.jpeg\" alt=\"a black and white cat climbing a shelf of foodstuffs in a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476482\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-2.jpg\" alt=\"two cats in a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476478\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-1.jpg\" alt=\"an orange cat relaxing on top of a shelf in a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476477\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476476\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2580\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bcny-9.jpg\" alt=\"the cover of a book titled &apos;Bodega Cats of New York&apos; with a blue background and a photo of a black-and-white cat in a New York City bodega\" class=\"wp-image-476485\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a 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Copy Bookmark In 2022, New York resident and bonafide feline devotee Dan Rimada felt that something needed to be 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