Bodega Cats

A "bodega cat" is not one famous cat but a whole beloved institution: the resident felines who live and work in the small corner stores — bodegas — that dot New York City. Curled up on stacks of newspapers, perched between the chip bags, or sprawled across the deli counter as if they own the place, these cats are a defining piece of the city's streetscape and a genuine source of local pride.

They earn their keep. Bodegas, packed with food in a dense urban environment, are magnets for mice and rats, and a good working cat is one of the oldest and most effective forms of pest control there is. In practice, though, the bodega cat is far more than a mouser — it is the shop's unofficial mascot, greeting regulars, tolerating tourists, and giving each little store a personality that no chain can replicate. Whole social-media accounts and photo projects are devoted to documenting them.

There is a wrinkle to their fame: technically, keeping a cat where food is sold can run afoul of New York health codes, and store owners have occasionally faced fines. This has repeatedly sparked public outcry and even campaigns and proposed legislation to protect the city's cherished bodega cats — a sign of just how deeply New Yorkers have taken these humble, hardworking shop cats to heart.