Bodega
Cats
of New York
BCNY documents the cats who live in New York's bodegas: the counters they claim, the stores that know them, and the people who look after them.
Cats New Yorkers know by name
Short records from the stores: who the cat is, where they post up, and what the regulars already know.
View the Stories
Oreo
Park Slope / Brooklyn / 2025
Klara
Park Slope / Brooklyn / 2026
Nancy
Park Slope / Brooklyn / 2026
Ashley
Williamsburg / Brooklyn / 2026
Tiger
Williamsburg / Brooklyn / 2026
Francesca
Williamsburg / Brooklyn / 2026
Stella
Park Slope / Brooklyn / 2026
Fat Choy
Chinatown / Manhattan / 2026
Leena
Upper East Side / Manhattan / 2026
Tiger / Julia
Williamsburg / Brooklyn / 2025
Sofia
Williamsburg / Brooklyn / 2025
Simba
Bed-Stuy / Brooklyn / 2025
Prince
SoHo / Manhattan / 2025
Luna
Fort Greene / Brooklyn / 2025
Kiki
Williamsburg / Brooklyn / 2025
Gigi
East Village / Manhattan / 2025
Coming this fall.
The book started in the aisles: owners pointing toward a shelf, workers calling a cat by name, regulars stopping to explain where the cat sleeps.
Written by Dan Rimada, with photography by Gulce Kilkis, it follows 60 cats across New York City's bodegas.
Join the Book WaitlistPrints, tees, stickers, and archive pieces.
Every order helps fund the next round of bodega visits, story edits, and photo work.
Press coverage of NYC's bodega cats, BCNY's work, the book, and the bills written to protect the cats.
Bodega Cats: The Catch-22 of Mice Regulations
The New York Times covers bodega cats, mice, and the health-code contradiction.
Read the pieceBodega Cats Aren't Just Cute - They're Working Animals
NPR reports on bodega cats as pest control and neighborhood fixtures.
Read the pieceFrom Truman Capote to feline firefighters — a day out at New York's historical cat walking tour
The Guardian covers New York's cats and their history, featuring Dan Rimada and his Bodega Cats of New York archive work.
Read the pieceCity Council Int. 0830-2026 and State Assembly A08341 are in committee.
Bodega cats are part of New York culture. We owe them protection.
The law is still catching up. The city and state bills are where the fight is now.