Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Happy Ending to Bodega Cat Tale
By
Jen Chung
Published May 11, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 11, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
To balance out the news about people who are very bad to pets, here's a story about how many people are wonderful to pets: It's an update about Miss Julie, the cat whose home at a bodega was threatened by the Department of Health. Why? Because it's against the health code to have cats in bodegas - never mind the cats killing vermin - and the bodega was fined and threatened with closure if it kept the tabby. New York Shitty's Miss Heather happily reported that Julie was adopted to a couple in Kensington:
This couple had been mulling over getting a cat for some time and once John (the husband) learned about Julie via Gothamist, he contacted his wife. His wife, Nicole, in turn contacted me. After talking a little over the phone, we agreed to meet today so they could meet Miss Julie and make a final decision.
It did not take them long to decide. Julie put on a real show, chatting them up and giving them several choice glimpses of her lusciously tubby tabby tummy. What sealed the deal was Julie loving all over Nicole’s purse.
Getting Julie into the carrier was a bit of a task. She clearly did not want to go and used her bountiful bod to force her way out. This Greenpoint girl was not too keen on moving to Kensington. But after being assured she would not be exposed to any Park Slope stroller moms, Julie calmed down a bit and complied with being lowered into the carrier.
And Julie's new humans sent Miss Heather a photograph (pictured) of Julie relaxing in her new home. Aw - many hoorahs to Miss Heather, John and Nicole! (J and N - we would be happy to send Julie a catnip cigar - email us your address!)
The whole concept of cats being illegal in bodegas was baffling to us, so we called the Department of Health to understand why exactly cats were fauna non grata in bodegas:
DOH lady: "Cats, to us, mean you have mice. And if you have mice, we're gonna shut you down."
Gothamist: "What if you have mice, and then you decide to get a cat to catch the mice?"
DOH lady: "It doesn't matter. You can't have a cat around where there's food."
Gothamist: "What if the deli just serves stuff in packages - no food is open?'
DOH lady: "It's the same thing. The only place where cats can run around is at a pet store."
Gothamist: "Really?"
DOH lady: "Yes."
To her credit, the DOH lady managed to be amused through her exasperation.
Tagged
animals
bodega
cat
cats
doh
food
gothamist
health
kensington
miss heather
new york
New York Shitty
park slope
people
pets
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
Spoiler alert: It's still 26.2 miles.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 2:36 p.m. ET
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .