For 22 years, Mars the bodega cat was a familiar, friendly face at the corner of Court and President streets.
He worked at Martinez Grocery, but enjoyed a nice work/life balance. He’d hang out amid the plants and flowers in front of the store, and often take excursions down President, or across Court to prowl around Carroll Park.
“He’d cross the street, no problem,” says Nelson, the store’s owner. “This one, I don’t trust yet.”
“This one” is Mars’ successor, Peachy. She’s been on the job for a little over a year, and for now, Nelson is keeping her inside.
Photo: Gulce Kilkis
But while Mars may have enjoyed more time in the sun, Peachy has arrived at her moment in the spotlight. She’ll appear in the forthcoming Bodega Cats of New York hardcover book, a citywide archive of 60 working cats across all five boroughs.
“Over four years, we documented these cats one store at a time,” author Dan Rimada said. “The book puts that citywide record in one place.”
In addition to adorable photos taken by Gulce Kilkis, the book also includes stories about the cats’ daily routines. Peachy’s section notes that she “plays with customers’ scarves when they lean over the counter.”
The book arrives at a pivotal moment for bodega cats. While they’re beloved in their communities, celebrated as icons of New York City culture, and considered essential workers by shopkeepers, they are technically illegal — city and state law prohibits live animals in retail food stores.
The laws are inconsistently applied, and they put store owners in a bind. Either risk a fine for keeping a bodega cat, or risk welcoming rodents into your store — which could result in even steeper fines.
Legislation is currently making its way through both the City Council and State Assembly that would address this disconnect, and give bodega cats legal recognition while setting basic care standards. The bills come after a petition started by Rimada gathered almost 15,000 signatures.
Photo: Gulce Kilkis
Nelson, who’s operated Martinez Grocery for 40 years — 23 at its current location, after 17 at a different spot on Court — says he was once hit with an $800 fine for having Mars in the store.
“A new guy, a young guy, came in, and I guess he wanted to be tough,” Nelson says. “But I told him, I still don’t want to get rid of the cat.”
Bodega Cats of New York publishes November 3 from Epic Ink.
— Travis Hunter
I met Peachy the other day! He was snoozing between a few planters outside and I stopped to say hello and he immediately went for my corded headphones, ha.
Union, Yes!