Zorro

I heard about Zorro before I met her. Ruben told us the story while we stood at the counter trying to get a clean shot of the tortie stretched out on a cardboard bed over the radiator.

"You know about the health inspector?" he said.

We did not.

According to Ruben, the inspector looked over the counters, prep area, and storage during a routine check and the store received an A.

As the inspector headed toward the door, he walked past Zorro. She reached up from her radiator perch and swatted his arm.

Ruben said Zorro drew blood.

"What happened?" I asked.

"He looked at me and the cat, nodded, and walked out."

The report contains no citation, warning, or note.

"Nothing?" I said.

"Nothing," Ruben repeated. "He was annoyed. You could tell. But he didn't write anything down."

While we worked, Zorro barely moved. She blinked slowly, adjusted her position, and glanced at us like we were temporary inconveniences in her space. Everyone recognized the cardboard box tucked against the wall as hers. Zorro used it as a bed and lookout post.

Ruben laughed every time he retold the swat. "The cat doesn't know the rules," he said. "The cat just knows the door."

Bodega Cats of New York is available for preorder now and publishes November 3, 2026.