Keith Powers Prepares Bill to Legalize Bodega Cats

You may not have known that bodegas keeping bodega cats around is against the law, but there’s a chance it might not be for long. City Council Member Keith Powers, who represents a swath of Manhattan’s East Side and is running in the Democratic primary for borough president, is in the process of drafting a bill that would “legalize” the beloved furry companions (which help deter rodents in food stores).

He’s getting an assist from the advocacy group Bodega Cats of New York. One of their petitions to “support NYC’s bodega cats,” which has gathered nearly 13,000 signatures, has been cited by Powers as demonstrating the necessary support for such a bill; it calls for comprehensive medical care for the cats, as well as the recognition of them as “enduring symbols” of local neighborhoods.

A spokesperson for Powers’s office told Straus News that the Council member has been a “longtime animal rights advocate,” and that the proposed bill has been in the making for a while.

Specifically, the bill would amend the NYC Health Code, which technically doesn’t allow cats to roam their bodega kingdoms. Violations for keeping a bodega cat are covered by Chapter 23 of the NYC Health Code, which bars “live animals other than fish in a tank or a service animal in an establishment’s food or non-food areas.” It would also set up a free vaccination program for the city’s bodega cats.

Powers points out that bodega cats kill rats and other pests, and that everybody has a personal favorite—which is incredibly hard to prove wrong. He also says that bodega cats are part of NYC’s unique heritage, which is true insofar as “bodegas” are the famed New Yorker term of choice for corner stores and delis.

“There are a lot of things that come to mind when you think of New York City, but bodegas—and the cats that live in them—are one of the iconic parts of our city,” Powers said in a statement accompanying the bill’s announcement. “Bodega cats embody the New York spirit: friendly, welcoming, and anti-rat. I’m proud that my legislation will codify them into city law and provide resources to keep them healthy.”

“This is a huge moment for bodega cats and the people who love them,” Bodega Cats of New York founder Dan Ramada said in a statement of his own. “These cats have always worked quietly behind the counter—now they’re finally getting the recognition and protection they deserve. I’m proud to be part of this step forward for New York City.”

Powers also took to TikTok to promote his proposed legislation. His video introduces his followers and constituents to Ash, “our neighborhood bodega cat,” and features some punny banter: “A bodega without bodega cats? You gotta be kitten me!” Powers is also seen gamely stooping down to the level of another sleepy orange bodega cat, and at one point he grabs a blue Gatorade and a bag of chips.

On Instagram, Powers meta-referentially posted an iMessage conversation containing photos of the bodega cats from his TikTok video. “We visit these guys all the time, can’t believe they were featured in a Keith Powers ad,” the anonymous messenger in the screenshot wrote. “We [heart emoji] our local bodega cats,” he captioned the post.