DzinerHub

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Bodega Cats of New York: A Photographic Love Letter to Feline Shopkeepers

Gulce Kilkis photographs 60 bodega cats across New York's five boroughs, capturing daily life in corner stores.

Bodega Cats of New York: A Photographic Love Letter to Feline Shopkeepers

Gulce Kilkis photographs 60 bodega cats across New York's five boroughs, capturing daily life in corner stores.

Huseyin Emanet

Huseyin Emanet

Founder of DzinerHub

Bodega Cats of New York: A Photographic Love Letter to Feline Shopkeepers

Photography

Gulce Kilkis's lens finds the quiet personalities of New York's bodega cats, perched among snacks and shelves. The book compiles 120 photographs of 60 felines across all boroughs, reflecting a distinctive urban subculture. Each image balances intimacy and everyday grit, turning convenience-store corners into portrait studios.

Beyond aesthetics, the project highlights the unofficial role these cats play in their communities. Rimada's advocacy pushes back against health-code restrictions, while Kilkis's photos humanize the issue. The result is a visual record that celebrates the characters we often overlook, blending documentary style with a genuine affection for its subjects.