Bodega Cats of New York - by Dan Rimada (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Get to know the working cats of New York City and the owners of these neighborhood stores through powerful narratives and 150 heartwarming photographs.

Bodega Cats of New York is the first book to document these working cats--and social media superstars--with the access and intimacy they deserve. The cats represent the last generation of true working animals in NYC. Through four years of building relationships across all five boroughs, author Dan Rimada and photographer Gulce Kilkis have gained unprecedented access to capture both the cats and the immigrant families who've built their lives around these neighborhood stores, which serve as anchors for their communities. Featuring beautiful photographs and brief, touching narratives of 60 cats from all five boroughs, this book provides a behind-the-scenes look at this New York City phenomenon, including:

• The informal community networks that keep these cats healthy and loved
• Heartfelt customer interactions with their favorite felines
• Individual cat personalities and their daily territories
• Owners' stories about how cats became family members
• And much more!

Bodega Cats of New York isn't another cat book; it's a documentation of one of the last authentic pieces of old New York--the family-owned corner stores where cats still do what they've done for centuries: work for a living, charm the customers, and make every day a little better for everyone they meet. Whether you're a cat fan, a store regular, or take an interest in photography, this photo book will tug on your heartstrings and delight you.

Review Quotes

"A street-level look at New York that most people walk right past. Rimada captures the soul of the corner store and the cats who call it home." --Joe Conzo Jr., Photographer, Author, and "The Man Who Took Hip-Hop's Baby Pictures"

"Growing up in my dad's bodega in the '90s, our cat was merely a worker. Fast-forward twenty-five-plus years, and they've not only been promoted to store manager, but also to the bodega's official mascot. People like Dan aren't just customers who stop to pet and acknowledge them. They've given these cats a platform for rightful appreciation and, more importantly, protection." --Kel Murphy, Filmmaker and Director of La Bodega Sells Dreams

"New York City is the world's melting pot, and the place where it all happens is the bodega. It is a safe space built into your neighborhood's corner to provide warmth, a hot meal, and the most perfect part of New York City culture: THE bodega cat. Dan Rimada has captured the soul of these spaces perfectly. As someone who has been at the forefront of documenting the cats that manage these shops citywide, I can tell you firsthand: we would be nothing without them and the papis, habibis, and ocks who pour so much love into their bodegas. They are the heart of New York City." --Michelladonna, Actor and Host of Mad Realities' Shop Cats

"There are a lot of things that come to mind when you think of New York City, but bodegas, and the cats that live in them, are one of the iconic parts of our city. I introduced the bill to legalize our bodega cats because of the indispensable role they play in stores, and because they are the embodiment of New York City, which this book artfully explores. It is an insightful look into one of the most important institutions in our city." --Keith Powers, New York City Council Member and Sponsor of the Bodega Cat Bill Int. 1471

About the Author

Dan Rimada is the founder of Bodega Cats of New York, an archive documenting New York City's working bodega cats through their names, routines, stores, owners, workers, and stories. He began the project in 2022 after noticing Luna, his local bodega cat, and realizing how little of this everyday New York institution had been formally recorded. Since then, Bodega Cats of New York has documented cats across all five boroughs, built a public archive, and launched the campaign to protect New York's bodega cats. The campaign's viral petition helped lead to bodega cat legislation in New York City and New York State.

Gulce Kilkis was born and raised in Istanbul and has long photographed Turkey's street cats, including through her Turkish Street Cats work and the public Instagram project @turkish_street_cats. That background has given her a natural eye for the relationship between cats, people, and the small urban spaces they share. Her photography for Bodega Cats of New York brings that same patience to New York City's bodegas, capturing cats in the places where they actually live and work: counters, aisles, basements, refrigerators, windowsills, and the small territories they claim inside the store. She works closely with Dan Rimada to document each cat with context, restraint, and respect for the shop around them.