If there’s one thing we love about a snack run, it’s the opportunity to mingle with our local bodega cat. But believe it or not, our feline friends — and four-legged workers — aren’t actually legal.
Due to health codes, cats are not permitted to be in bodegas, but it looks like that’s about to change. City Councilmember Keith Powers plans to introduce a bill later this June to change this rule right around — with the help of Dan Rimada, founder of @bodegacatsofnewyork (which is in the midst of a fundraiser to support our feline workers.)
Bodega cat bill proposal
Through this bill, the city’s health codes would be edited to accommodate for bodega cats and shop owners would have to register their four-legged helpers. Additionally, the animals will be protected with vaccines, care, and neutering.
Powers revealed his plans on Instagram and stated, “I’m excited to announce new legislation that will legalize bodega cats by updating the city’s health code to officially allow them. The bill will also create a free vaccination program for cats so they can get the protection they deserve.”
And he ended with a very strong, convincing note: “Because a bodega without a bodega cat? You gotta be kitten me.”
Likewise, Rimada once revealed to us that they’re not only companions, but necessary to keep the bodegas orderly. (What better way to keep roaches on their toes than a bodega cat?)