Sofia

Sofia is social. Customers bring toys specifically for her. Treats every visit like recess.

Some people stop by on their way to work just to play with her for five minutes. Someone holding a vape pauses mid-hit to crouch down and say hi. Sofia does not even blink. The owner says she has extended more commutes than the L train.

She has a preferred toy, a crinkled ball, that she carries around the store and drops at the feet of whoever she has decided needs to throw it. If you ignore her, she picks it up and drops it again. Louder. She is patient but persistent. One regular keeps a backup toy in his bag just in case Sofia's ball goes missing.

Most bodega cats are passive. They sit, they observe, they allow contact on their terms. Sofia initiates. She decides when it is time to play, and she decides who is playing. There is no opting out. You either throw the ball or you stand there while a cat stares at you with the ball at your feet, waiting.

Sofia, Williamsburg. Photos: Gulce Kilkis / Bodega Cats of New York

The thing about Sofia is that she changes the pace of the store. People slow down. They put their phone away. They crouch. For a few minutes, the commute does not exist. The train is not coming. The meeting can wait. There is a cat with a crinkle ball who has chosen you.

From the StoriesSofia's story appears in Bodega Cats of New York, out this fall.