New York's beloved bodega cats bring sense of calm to fast-paced city

NEW YORK − In Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood, brothers Nader and Nasser Zeidan stood behind their bodega's counter, gushing over photos of the cat who calls the store home.

"Everybody loves him," said Nasser Zeidan, pointing to a photo of a chunky grey and white cat named Thumbs. "A Jewish kid, a Black kid, an Arab kid, a Hindu kid − everybody loves cats, they're the best pet you could ever have."

Thumbs belongs to a special group of feline friends who can be found napping, and supposedly hunting for mice, inside many of the Big Apple's signature corner stores. They're called bodega cats, and they've become neighborhood staples and amassed large followings on social media.

Bodega cats have proliferated because New York City has such a large stray cat population, which has led the animals to infiltrate commercial buildings in addition to being pets in private homes, according to rescue advocates.

"There are so many cats that they’re basically populating every available place, including the corner store," said Will Zweigart, who runs Flatbush Cats, a rescue non-profit in central Brooklyn.

Sometimes bodega staff will adopt a kitten from a litter in need of homes. That was the case with Gracie, known as the 'queen' of Myers of Keswick, a British specialty foods store in the West Village. Gracie came to the store via a kitchen staff member's hairdresser's cat's litter, said store owner Jenny Myers.

The 2-year-old cat begs for chicken-flavored treats, likes to hide under the kitchen sink and customers love her because she's "a part of the store that’s living," Myers said.

In Crown Heights, Thumbs − named for his polydactyl toes − is the latest in a line of cats who have lived at Grocery Inc. 1-Stop since the 1970s. The cat is 12 years old, loves people and hates dogs, Nasser Zeidan said.

"He's friendly," Nasser Zeidan, 50, said. "I don't see any mice, so you know he's doing his job."

Cats bring sense of calm in hectic city

New York City's neighborhoods are strewn with bodegas, also called delis or corner stores, and they're convenient, gritty spots to grab items like gum, cigarettes and lottery tickets.

Seeing a cat in a New York City bodega takes the customer experience to a new level because it feels like getting a surprise gift.

"When you see something that you have fond memories of when you least expect it, that's a big part of it," said Rob Hitt, who runs the popular social media account Bodega Cats of Instagram.

Historically kept to hunt mice, these days the cats are more known for their napping skills, and are commonly photographed snoozing atop store shelves, nestled among bags of chips and sodas.

At Grocery Inc. 1-Stop in Crown Heights, Thumbs didn't even make an appearance on a recent August night, as he had just been fed dinner and was fast asleep, tucked away in an upstairs office, Nasser Zeidan said, fawning.

Sleepy kitties like Thumbs allow busy New Yorkers a special moment of tranquility in an otherwise hectic and loud city, said Dan Rimada, who runs the Instagram account Bodega Cats of New York.

"They've turned into little Zen masters for New Yorkers, and they give us a reason to pause amid our super busy lives," Rimada said.

Seeing a familiar furry face in the largest, most densely populated city in the country is also comforting, Hitt said.

"It's that familiarity that makes you feel close to the community," Hitt said.

NYC also has a cat population problem

Beyond New York City, bodega cats are a part of communities in San Francisco and widespread among the streets of Istanbul, Turkey. In all three cities, the cats are often taken from the streets, due to a lack of neuter and spay programs, Zweigart said.

There are no precise estimates on the number of stray cats in New York City, but Flatbush Cats and other groups said in 2023 there could be as many as 500,000.

"It's totally fine to get excited about bodega cats, maybe you have a favorite at your local corner store," Zweigart said. "But if you see a cat in a bodega, it’s a reflection of this overpopulation crisis."

Rimada, a lifelong New Yorker, said he estimates as many as 30% of bodegas in the city are home to a cat. Crown Heights and the nearby Flatbush neighborhoods have some of the highest concentrations of bodega cats, according to surveys Zweigart's non-profit has conducted.

Myers said some bodega cats across the city aren't getting proper veterinary care. Gracie is spayed, Myers said, and a store employee who commutes from New Jersey brings the cat home with her once a year to see a local vet.

“They definitely need to be up to date on their shots, they’re like a part of the family," Myers, 46, said. "You wouldn’t let your kid not go to the doctor’s for their wellness visit.”

Before Thumbs became the resident cat at Grocery Inc. 1-Stop on Brooklyn's Utica Avenue, the Zeidan brothers had another cat, but he ran away after only three years, probably because he wasn't neutered, they said. Without neutering, male cats are more likely to roam far from home, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

Nasser Zeidan said he made sure Thumbs had the procedure, and as a result, he has "stuck around."

"We love him," Zeidan said. "We take care of them, and they take care of us."