In New York City, the corner bodega sells a little bit of everything: coffee, lottery tickets, and sandwiches stacked higher than seems structurally sound. For many regulars, though, the real reason to stop in has four legs, a favorite spot on the counter, and absolutely no interest in customer service.
Those cats are the stars of "Bodega Cats of New York", a project that has spent years photographing the city's working felines and collecting their stories, and it's now officially becoming a book. Due out in November 2026, "Bodega Cats of New York: Portraits and Stories from New York City's Working Cats" features 60 cats from all five boroughs, with photographs by Gulce Kilkis and stories by the project's creator, Dan Rimada. Rather than simply collecting cute portraits, the book introduces each cat as a character, with its own routines, loyal regulars, and story of how it ended up running a corner store.
We first introduced Bored Panda readers to the project earlier this year, and with the book on the way, we caught up with Dan to hear how it all came together. Scroll down to read the interview and meet a few more of the city's most dedicated shopkeepers.
