Get to know the working cats of New York City and the owners of these neighborhood stores! Word Up welcomes Dan Rimada, the founder of the beloved archive Bodega Cats of New York (now a book with the same name), which led to bodega cat legislation in New York City and New York State!

To celebrate the cats in our neighborhood, we’ll be hosting a cat supply drive in November! Feel free to drop off supplies before the event at Word Up Community Bookshop or the fridge outside the shop starting November 3rd.

“New York City is the world’s melting pot, and the place where it all happens is the bodega. It is a safe space built into your neighborhood’s corner to provide warmth, a hot meal, and the most perfect part of New York City culture: THE bodega cat. Dan Rimada has captured the soul of these spaces perfectly. As someone who has been at the forefront of documenting the cats that manage these shops citywide, I can tell you firsthand: we would be nothing without them and the papis, habibis, and ocks who pour so much love into their bodegas. They are the heart of New York City.” —Michelladonna, Actor and Host of Mad Realities’ Shop Cats

Please register in advance.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Bodega Cats of New York is the first book to document these working cats—and social media superstars—with the access and intimacy they deserve. The cats represent the last generation of true working animals in NYC. Through four years of building relationships across all five boroughs, author Dan Rimada and photographer Gulce Kilkis have gained unprecedented access to capture both the cats and the immigrant families who’ve built their lives around these neighborhood stores, which serve as anchors for their communities. Featuring beautiful photographs and brief, touching narratives of 60 cats from all five boroughs, this book provides a behind-the-scenes look at this New York City phenomenon, including: – The informal community networks that keep these cats healthy and loved – Heartfelt customer interactions with their favorite felines – Individual cat personalities and their daily territories – Owners’ stories about how cats became family members – And much more!

Bodega Cats of New York isn’t another cat book; it’s a documentation of one of the last authentic pieces of old New York—the family-owned corner stores where cats still do what they’ve done for centuries: work for a living, charm the customers, and make every day a little better for everyone they meet. Whether you’re a cat fan, a store regular, or take an interest in photography, this photo book will tug on your heartstrings and delight you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Rimada is the founder of Bodega Cats of New York, an archive documenting New York City’s working bodega cats through their names, routines, stores, owners, workers, and stories. He began the project in 2022 after noticing Luna, his local bodega cat, and realizing how little of this everyday New York institution had been formally recorded. Since then, Bodega Cats of New York has documented cats across all five boroughs, built a public archive, and launched the campaign to protect New York’s bodega cats. The campaign’s viral petition helped lead to bodega cat legislation in New York City and New York State.