The latest bill in the NYC Council is the cat’s meow.
Council Member Keith Powers, who represents Manhattan’s East Side and Midtown, introduced on Wednesday a bill that, if enacted, would legalize bodega cats in NYC.
But the legislation would do more than just update city health codes to officially allow the feline friends in the neighborhood’s food shops. It would also establish a free vaccination program for cats registered as feral cats.
Under the bill, Intro. 1471, the city would cover vaccines as part of a free vaccination program, as well as spay and neuter services for bodega cats, Powers said.
As cute as bodega cats are, they also serve a practical purpose by keeping out unwanted guests, such as mice and rats.
“Bodega cats embody the New York spirit: friendly, welcoming, and anti-rat,” said Powers, who is term-limited and leaving office at the end of 2025. “I’m proud that my legislation will codify them into city law and provide resources to keep them healthy. It’s time to remove the legal limbo that our furry friends have been living under for far too long and legalize them once and for all.”
And they are also a puuuur-fect part of the Big Apple’s charm and character, Powers explained.
“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,” the council member said.
Bodega cats are so beloved that their human friends have launched a petition this year to provide veterinary care for some of these adorable felines.
Led by Dan Rimada, founder of the advocacy group Bodega Cats of New York, organizers pressed the council not only to grant legal status to these essential cats but also to support voluntary partnerships with local rescues and veterinary clinics to help provide affordable veterinary care.
“This is a huge moment for bodega cats and the people who love them,” Rimada said. “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.”
The cat lover added that it is important for shop owners to spay and neuter their feline storekeepers to help control the feral and stray cat populations in NYC.
“One of the most important parts of the bill is the spaying and neutering part of it because bodega cats mix with feral cats all the time,” he said. “If we don’t address that piece, we’re just going to add to the overpopulation prices that rescue workers have struggled with for decades.”
Rimada echoed Powers’ point about the city funding the vital health programs that benefit not only the cats, but the surrounding communities.
“There was a lot of money tossed recently for the Rat Czar to take care of the rat problem,” he said. “We can move city funds around to fund spaying and neutering.”
Meanwhile, there is strong public support for the bill. In fact, Rimada said his petition this year drew over 13,000 signatures in support of protecting the city’s corner store cats.
Former 2025 mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, famously known for his love of animals, told amNewYork that bodega cats are part of the Big Apple’s tradition and supports their legalization.
“Keith Powers’ bill would allow them to come out of the shadows,” he said. “No longer would there be the constant fear that the NYC Department of Health would visit and issue fines and sometimes threaten bodega owners that they might remand the bodega cat to a shelter.”
The bill, if passed, would enable the cats to perform their primary function of deterring rats and mice from entering the bodega where they live, Sliwa explained.
“It is Mother Nature’s way of protecting food stocks without resorting to the use of dangerous poisons,” Sliwa said. “All bodega cat lives matter!”
amNewYork contacted the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A spokesperson for the agency said it “does not take a position on pending legislation.”
