Exclusive | Bodega cat ‘certification’ plan seeks vet care for four-legged deli workers: ‘Most of them are abused’

The creator of an Instagram account dedicated to profiling the Big Apple’s deli cats is now championing a measure to protect them – as advocates say a concerning lack of regulations lead to many of the city’s feline workers not being properly taken care of.

Dan Rimada, founder of @BodegaCatsofNewYork, launched an online petition last month to create a “certification program” to eliminate health department fines on “responsible” bodega cat owners and establish a city-backed $30,000 Bodega Cats Support Fund for medical and other resources.

“Bodega cats have long been an iconic part of New York City’s soul—they keep shops pest-free, brighten our streets, and offer comfort to communities,” Rimada said in the petition, which has amassed nearly 5,000 signatures to date. “Yet outdated health codes and inconsistent care practices leave many of these cats at risk and burden small business owners with unfair fines.”

“Through years of hands-on experience, I’ve witnessed both the charm of well-cared-for bodega cats and the harsh reality of neglect when standards aren’t met,” Rimada added.

The city’s Department of Health directed The Post for comment to the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, which said it “has not been approached about this effort” yet.

Live animals are not allowed in food service establishments, according to New York City health code.

“The majority of bodega cats that I’ve seen were not properly taken care of,” said independent animal rescuer Tiff Winton, who helped save a cat left behind in a shuttered deli last summer and has since aided several dumped deli cats in the Bronx.

“As much as bodega cats are beloved in New York, most of them are abused and neglected,” she told The Post, adding that she’s seen malnourished, medically neglected and even abandoned deli pets.

Winton attributes the alleged neglect largely to a lack of responsibility and knowledge, and argues the cost-prohibitive nature of veterinary care is a non-factor given the number of free and low-cost services through various nonprofits in the Big Apple.

The certification program would require owners to take a free, multilingual online training course about responsible pet care and food safety, according to the petition.

“There needs to be some sort of process that holds bodega owners accountable for their pets,” she said. “If you have a dog, you have to get a license for it … but there’s no regulations for , nobody is watching if anyone is taking care of them.

“I think it’s partially cultural, it’s partially carelessness – they don’t have the cat because they want to have a pet, it has a function,” she added, alluding to the tradition of keeping store cats as mouse trappers.

Workers at Rodriguez Deli in Williamsburg, Brooklyn told The Post that its cat Ashley last went to the veterinarian two years ago — and reportedly hasn’t required a visit since.

“She is behind on her vaccines,” one worker admitted. She said she wasn’t sure if the bodega would be interested in participating in a certification program, and referred The Post to the owner.

The proposed program would also protect owners who meet standards like regular vet check-ups, proper feeding and safe environments from fines from the city, despite the illegal practice. It would rely on both self-certification and “community-triggered” spot-checks from rescuers, as well as create an online reporting portal for concerns, the petition reads.

The program, which would be funded through a discretionary funding request in City Council, would launch in 15 bodegas to start and collect data on cat health, owner participation and community response before an expansion.

Funds would also be garnered through annual fees around $150 from participating bodega owners and be managed by local veterinary organizations.

A similar petition was launched in 2016 to “legalize” bodega cats with more than 5,800 supporters – but garnered no response from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, who the petition was addressed to.

Council members Tiffany Cabán, Julie Menin, and Shekar Krishnan have been asked to support the pilot program, according to a project proposal shared with The Post – though none returned a request for comment from The Post regarding whether or not they’ll take up the cause.

About $20,000 of the discretionary funding, if approved, would go towards medical care like spay and neuter services, vaccines and emergency treatment, the proposal states. 

The remaining funds would be split on stipends and travel reimbursements for animal rescuers working on the ground – who oftentimes pay for emergency vet care in the thousands of dollars out-of-pocket, according to Winton.

“We’re not funded at all by the city or anyone – some of the rescues are lucky enough to get small grants – but it’s really a labor of love,” the rescuer said.

Winton recounted the rescue last week of a tuxedo cat on death’s door from a Hell’s Kitchen deli – and a local nonprofit is now helping rescuers like her foot the $7,500 bill after a vet diagnosed the feline with a severe urinary tract infection and blockage. 

“They watched this happen, for days they let this go on and on — and they did nothing,” Winton said, adding the cat was rescued “just hours away from dying.”

While the rescuer contends that $30,000 won’t go very far considering the costly nature of some treatments, Winton contends any support from legislation to regulate – or educate – would help the cause.

“The bodega cat issue, to me, seems like it’s solvable: It’s regulation, education, some sort of program where [owners] have to register their cats and keep up to date on vaccines and have them clean and neutered,” Winton said.

They’re simple things that they should be required to do, just like they’re required to wash their hands before they make a sandwich.”