Bodega Cats of New York Book Advocates for Feline Shopkeepers

Dan Rimada founded Bodega Cats of New York in 2022 to advocate for the city's feral cats that reside in bodegas. The new book, published by Epic Ink, features 120 photos of 60 cats across all five boroughs, with stories captured by photographer Gulce Kilkis, who also runs the Instagram account @turkish_street_cats. Although New York City considers animals in food-serving businesses a health code violation, thousands of cats serve as mousers. Rimada's advocacy includes two bills introduced in committee that would stop automatic health code violations for cats in retail food stores and require voluntary free vaccination and spay/neuter programs, while another bill would legally allow cats in retail stores if they meet veterinary requirements. Rimada emphasizes protecting what makes New York City feel like home, including caring for these cats. The book is slated for release in early November, with pre-orders available on the project's website. The project also highlights individual cats like Oreo in Park Slope and Prince in SoHo, and the varying treatment they receive. The article also references Marcel Heijnen's 'City Cats of Istanbul' and Phaidon's 'Cat' as related works.