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<v Speaker 1>It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea on iHeartRadio.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. And with me is

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<v Speaker 2>Dan Ramata. Now this is really cool because he is

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<v Speaker 2>the founder of Bodega Cats of New York and a

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<v Speaker 2>co founder of Cats about Town, which tours. So it's

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<v Speaker 2>really very cool. Dan. It's great to talk to you

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<v Speaker 2>because you are a true blue New Yorker to the core.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely born and race here. Yeah, thanks so much for

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<v Speaker 1>having me, Maria. I'm really really excited to be on

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<v Speaker 1>the show.

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<v Speaker 2>Well absolutely, So here's okay, So let's start with Bodega Cats.

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<v Speaker 2>So am I correct that that this it's been around

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<v Speaker 2>since twenty twenty so it's like five years, yeah exactly.

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<v Speaker 1>It's been all for yeah exactly, and then it kind

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<v Speaker 1>of evolved on its own around the pandemic. That's when

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<v Speaker 1>I started to get like a ton of followers and

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<v Speaker 1>people submitting their own photos of bodega cats.

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<v Speaker 3>Uh huh.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, around twenty twenty two is when it really started

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<v Speaker 1>to take off.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, And basically it's cats that live in bodegas around

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the Tri State area of New York City,

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<v Speaker 2>and I guess for like, do they have bodegas throughout

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<v Speaker 2>the country, Yes, right, And I'm maybe they're just not

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<v Speaker 2>called bodega's exactly.

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<v Speaker 1>I was gonna say, like they are forms of bodegas

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<v Speaker 1>more like delis or convenience stores. But here we really

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<v Speaker 1>coined and we kind of adopted the phrase bodega.

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<v Speaker 3>Sure.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, right around like the nineteen fifties is when that

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<v Speaker 1>term started to be to be used, when like Puerto

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<v Speaker 1>Rican immigrants started to come over and they started to

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<v Speaker 1>make these bodegas or like you no convenience.

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<v Speaker 2>H yeah, yeah, And I mean and they're great because

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<v Speaker 2>they're usually open twenty four hours and they usually have

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<v Speaker 2>every single thing that you might think that you might need, uh,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, whether any type of grocery or food.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, you need to get milk at midnight for.

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<v Speaker 2>Some reason because you ran out of it, you go

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<v Speaker 2>to a bodega and usually you step into a bodega

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<v Speaker 2>and there's always a cat now exactly for the most part.

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<v Speaker 2>And I would think when cats are somewhere, you don't

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<v Speaker 2>have to worry about mice and rats, right, because they're

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<v Speaker 2>pest control the living pest controls.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and not only that, I mean obviously the cats

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<v Speaker 1>will will go after the rodents. But it's funny because

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<v Speaker 1>the mere presence of a cat, the odor that the

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<v Speaker 1>cat creates, even if in its litter box, that's enough

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<v Speaker 1>to deter rodents. Yeah, so they're fantastic ay keeping rodents

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<v Speaker 1>out of stores? Sure in many ways, sure, totally. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean like it's a living controller.

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<v Speaker 2>You don't need to use pesticides or anything that's bad

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<v Speaker 2>for everyone, you know, when you have a cat. So

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<v Speaker 2>let's talk about because as a result of Bodega cats. Uh,

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<v Speaker 2>you also you started the petition to get bodega cats

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<v Speaker 2>to be legal, So let's talk about that with a

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<v Speaker 2>change dot org petition.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so it took on a level. But so I

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<v Speaker 1>did not expect the reaction from people that I got,

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm really I'm thrilled and I'm really grateful for

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<v Speaker 1>the traction this petition has or coming up on about

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<v Speaker 1>ten thousand signatures right now.

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<v Speaker 3>I saw.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, we released the petition first week, it got a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of dozen signatures. Change dot org reaches out to

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<v Speaker 1>us and they say, hey, we want to do a

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<v Speaker 1>collab post on our Instagram. So we'll tag you in

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<v Speaker 1>the post about your petition, and I said, okay, great,

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<v Speaker 1>I handed them over like a short voiceover that went

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<v Speaker 1>out there, and then the next day the New York

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<v Speaker 1>Post calls, and then NBC calls, and the New York

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<v Speaker 1>Times is interviewing me. And next thing, I know, this

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<v Speaker 1>thing has fifty five hundred signatures and then eighty five.

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<v Speaker 1>So it really it took off the best way possible.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know it also, I think it stirred up

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<v Speaker 1>some emotions in especially like rescue organizations who who told

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<v Speaker 1>me that, like this petition is and the idea of

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<v Speaker 1>certifying bodega cats for these bodega owners so they don't

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<v Speaker 1>face fines from the city's great in practice, but you're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna run into a ton of bureaucracy and there's gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be a ton of red tape to have to cut through.

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<v Speaker 1>And then I asked a simple question, and I said, well,

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<v Speaker 1>what's better, like what would be helpful for rescue organizations?

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<v Speaker 1>And after learning that these rescue organizations do a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of this work already, right, the idea with the petition

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<v Speaker 1>is to take care of these cats, but rescue orgs

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<v Speaker 1>do that work every single day. And what they told

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<v Speaker 1>me was, like the problem is that we're just underfunded,

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<v Speaker 1>like we just don't have the money to take care

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<v Speaker 1>of bodega cats. And somebody told me this story that

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<v Speaker 1>I thought was interesting that she she she built a

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<v Speaker 1>relationship with a bodega owner who was willing to give

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<v Speaker 1>the cat to the rescue org to go get it spade,

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<v Speaker 1>and what she had to do was come out of

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<v Speaker 1>her own pocket. She took an uber to the bodega,

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<v Speaker 1>got the cat, took an uber to the vet, and

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<v Speaker 1>then an uber back to the bodega, costing her like

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<v Speaker 1>ninety bucks out of her own pocket. Sure.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, you know that's a lot. Okay, there's a lot.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's a lot. Yeah, totally for our rescue org.

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<v Speaker 1>And there's a rescuers out there, of course. So the

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<v Speaker 1>petition evolved, It evolved a bit to include a funding side,

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<v Speaker 1>and pretty soon we're going to announce it a completely

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<v Speaker 1>separate fund for rescue orgs to treat specifically bugega cats.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh that's great, but yeah, but the petition at its core,

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<v Speaker 1>the idea here is as long as you can show paperwork,

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<v Speaker 1>as long as you have some proof that you are

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<v Speaker 1>taking care of this cat adequately, adequately, you're giving it,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, spain and utering, and you're bringing it to

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<v Speaker 1>the vet. There's annual checkups. You're allowing rescuers to help

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<v Speaker 1>your cat as long as you can prove this stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>The idea here is the city would either you know,

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<v Speaker 1>eliminate fines altogether, or give more discretion to these health

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<v Speaker 1>inspectors to look the other way on the cat since

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<v Speaker 1>it's providing a great service, right, Yeah, for sure.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know why, I guess, and this was my stupidity.

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<v Speaker 2>I always assumed that the cats in Baudeigua's were owned

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<v Speaker 2>by the owners, but I guess they're not always, is

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<v Speaker 2>that right?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I guess yeah. Ownership is kind of a funny term, beinse.

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<v Speaker 1>I know these are working term, working cats, right, so

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<v Speaker 1>they have a job at the bodega. I guess you

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<v Speaker 1>could say, like the bodega owner does own the cat.

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<v Speaker 1>They have a responsibility for the cat.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, but not necessarily. It's a funny word.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, like I when I say owns, I

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<v Speaker 2>mean it's like if you have your dog at home

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<v Speaker 2>and you bring your dog to work. I always and

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<v Speaker 2>this was stupid, I guess on my part. I always

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<v Speaker 2>thought when I saw a cat in a bodega, it

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<v Speaker 2>went home with the not went home with, but it

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<v Speaker 2>was that person, that person's cat, like they took their

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<v Speaker 2>cat to work, you know.

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<v Speaker 3>But I realized that that's not that's not correct.

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<v Speaker 1>Well you know what I mean. So you're not totally wrong.

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<v Speaker 1>So in some instances that is the case. So there's

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<v Speaker 1>two examples that I can tell you about. So Boca,

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<v Speaker 1>who was a very famous bodega Cata was famous because

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<v Speaker 1>he had actually gotten kidnapped from a few years ago

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<v Speaker 1>and then eventually got returned to the bodega. And then

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<v Speaker 1>well I think it was like after that happened, the

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<v Speaker 1>bodega owner started taking home the cat when when the

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<v Speaker 1>shop would close. And then eventually the cat retired and

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<v Speaker 1>became the bodega owners. You know, pet is an actual cat,

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<v Speaker 1>so now it's it's living no great life. And then

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<v Speaker 1>there's another story about Tiger, the bodega cat. He's a

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<v Speaker 1>Scottish fold bodega cat, which is not a very common

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<v Speaker 1>breed for for bodega cats. Uh. The owner there at

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<v Speaker 1>Metropolitan Organic on Metropolitan av And Williamsburg, he does take

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<v Speaker 1>Tiger home most most times, and he's actually like a

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<v Speaker 1>shining example of what a bodega owner really should be doing.

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<v Speaker 1>Sure he has vet paperwork. He told me he got

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<v Speaker 1>really emotional and upset when the cat got sick. He

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<v Speaker 1>took it to the vet, and you know, he really

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<v Speaker 1>treats that cat like an actual member of his family

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<v Speaker 1>across between like cat living in the store and him

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<v Speaker 1>bringing it home. So that's a great example of like, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>not all cats are mistreated, not all bodega cats are mistreated, right, right,

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<v Speaker 1>but the ones that could use better treatment, that's what

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<v Speaker 1>the petition.

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<v Speaker 3>That's what the petition.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's funny because a friend of mine and rescue

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<v Speaker 2>had even mentioned that to me about when I because

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<v Speaker 2>I guess I reposted the article and said that she

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<v Speaker 2>just remembered cat Rescue that sometimes some of the boat

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<v Speaker 2>and this is years ago, but a bodega owner who

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<v Speaker 2>kind of starved the cat so that it's prey to

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<v Speaker 2>go after mice and rats would be bigger.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm like, oh, that's awful.

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<v Speaker 2>But even though then I was thinking about it, and

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<v Speaker 2>I kind of feel like, well, their prey is probably

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<v Speaker 2>always there, whether you you know what I mean. It's

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<v Speaker 2>a cat. It's like a dog with a squirrel, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>But yeah, but yeah, but I think that was more

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<v Speaker 2>of an exception than the rule, if that makes sense.

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<v Speaker 1>Totally right, Yeah, it's an extreme example exactly.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, you.

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<v Speaker 1>Know, probably over one hundred, one hundred and fifty bothas

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<v Speaker 1>and in the course of having the Instagram account, I

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<v Speaker 1>have found that, like, most of the cats that I

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<v Speaker 1>visited are actually pretty well treated. Sure, the owners will

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<v Speaker 1>even show me where they sleep and they make a

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<v Speaker 1>little bed. A cat named Zoro in the in the

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<v Speaker 1>I think he's in the East Village. I think he's

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<v Speaker 1>on Avenue A, and he got a little home on

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<v Speaker 1>top of the TV because the TV generates and the

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<v Speaker 1>owner built him a little box. Yeah. I love that

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<v Speaker 1>most of the cats I see are actually pretty well treated,

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<v Speaker 1>and those are the ones that we feature on the Instagram.

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<v Speaker 1>But sure, yeah, the starvation thing, yeah, it's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of people think that, and I think it's it's not

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<v Speaker 1>as common as I think some people think. I think

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<v Speaker 1>it's right.

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<v Speaker 2>It could be one of those right, or one of

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<v Speaker 2>those examples that say it happened, but it was a

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<v Speaker 2>while ago, and it's it's not it's totally like it's

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<v Speaker 2>the exception, Like you said.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, totally.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that's not why I think.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, right, So for those who are listening and they're

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<v Speaker 2>not in this area, you can also go to Bodega

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<v Speaker 2>Cats of New York dot com and see the whole

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<v Speaker 2>website because it's really pretty cool. You have a great website,

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<v Speaker 2>and of course follow you as well on Instagram. But

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<v Speaker 2>also let's talk about Okay, so for anyone who's listening

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<v Speaker 2>and they do, they have to just be in the

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<v Speaker 2>New York area to sign the petition.

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<v Speaker 3>No, anyone can sign.

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<v Speaker 1>It, correct, Okay, anyone, anyone at all.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So if they go to Bodega Cats of New

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<v Speaker 2>York and why New York that way dot com, they

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<v Speaker 2>can see the petition and they can sign it because

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<v Speaker 2>the more signature is the merrier for you, right, absolutely, yes,

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<v Speaker 2>So now do you have a number or you're just

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<v Speaker 2>going to keep You're just going to wait.

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<v Speaker 3>Till it it's larger and larger of the signatures.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, you know, it's funny. The original goal was five thousand,

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<v Speaker 1>and oh you beat it, even thought often a stretch

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<v Speaker 1>of like five thousand's too crazy, But now we're close

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<v Speaker 1>to almost ten a week or two away, So ten

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<v Speaker 1>thousand is the number. Okay, we'll get you there. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I appreciate it. Thank you, Maria. I've gotten some attention

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<v Speaker 1>from the Mayor's office. I actually have a call with

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<v Speaker 1>them tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 3>Nice.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and we're going to discuss some ideas. I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to get her some advice from them about like the

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<v Speaker 1>fund that we're about to announce in a couple of weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>So yeah, I've gotten some great traction so far, but

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<v Speaker 1>ten thousands of the number that we feel really good

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<v Speaker 1>about to like, you know, officially reach out to the

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<v Speaker 1>city council and reach out to the right folks and

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully we get some advice tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 3>That's awesome. Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>So for those who are listening to Mario's MutS and stuff,

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<v Speaker 2>I know you love cats. And also, by the way, Dan,

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<v Speaker 2>I always say this because I you know, I focus

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<v Speaker 2>a lot on dogs, and when there's a subject about cats,

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<v Speaker 2>I try to do it because I've gotten complaints that

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<v Speaker 2>I focus too much on dogs, and I don't do

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<v Speaker 2>it on purpose. It's just whoever reaches out to me

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<v Speaker 2>and has like a rescue or a situation. So you're

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<v Speaker 2>helping my cat cred. So I appreciate you.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm happy to hear.

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<v Speaker 2>So for those who are listening, if you want to

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<v Speaker 2>sign the petition, please do. It's at Bodega catsof ny

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<v Speaker 2>dot com. But now let's talk about the other thing

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<v Speaker 2>you have going on, because that's pretty cool is the

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<v Speaker 2>Cats About Town tours?

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<v Speaker 3>So how did that start? Yeah? Tell us about that?

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<v Speaker 3>How did that all start?

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<v Speaker 1>All right? I will try to avoid long winded versions. Okay, okay,

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<v Speaker 1>it's kind of a fun story. So last year, I

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<v Speaker 1>think it was around the beginning of last year News

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<v Speaker 1>twelve News twelve Brooklyn, they reached out to me and

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<v Speaker 1>they wanted to do a story on Bodega Cats, and

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<v Speaker 1>I said absolutely, I'd be happy to come and do

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<v Speaker 1>an interview with you guys. And then it turns out

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<v Speaker 1>to that, you know, the Bodega cat piece was part

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<v Speaker 1>of a bigger story, and the story was about working

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<v Speaker 1>cats in New York City, cast with jobs across New

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<v Speaker 1>York and one of the people that were interviewed for

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<v Speaker 1>this segment, there was about six of us. I think

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<v Speaker 1>one of the people was Peggy Gavon, who later became

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<v Speaker 1>my co founder for Casts About Town. He was in

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<v Speaker 1>the beginning of the segment. I was towards the end

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<v Speaker 1>of the segment, and I didn't I actually didn't get

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<v Speaker 1>a chance to see the entire segment after it came out.

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<v Speaker 1>I only really saw my piece. That's just my danity,

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<v Speaker 1>I guess. So I always have this idea of like

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<v Speaker 1>a walking tour for cat lovers, and I did extensive research,

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<v Speaker 1>and I realized, wow, there's never been a walking tour

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<v Speaker 1>for animal lovers, dog lovers, cat lovers in New York City.

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<v Speaker 1>To my acknowledge, has never been one. So I said, Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>there's kind of an opportunity here. So I started training

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<v Speaker 1>myself on cat history across New York City. I started

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<v Speaker 1>planning out my own route. I was going to get

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<v Speaker 1>my license to be a licensed tour guide. And then

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<v Speaker 1>I got exhausted and I said, I've been reading Peggy's

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<v Speaker 1>blog for the last few weeks. Let me reach out

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<v Speaker 1>to her and maybe she has some ideas for me.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe she's thinking about this herself. So I reached out

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<v Speaker 1>and I said, hey, Peggy, I love your blog. I've

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<v Speaker 1>been reading a lot. I'm trying to do a walking tour.

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder if you have some tips for me. Maybe

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<v Speaker 1>there's some stories, I said, you know, I should highlight

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<v Speaker 1>and then, as luck would have it, she had the

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<v Speaker 1>exact same idea. Wow. She also wanted to do a

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<v Speaker 1>walking tour. And not only that, I mean she's a

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<v Speaker 1>cat historian, the published author on the history of cats

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<v Speaker 1>and dogs in New York City. Might be a good

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<v Speaker 1>guest for you to have on Yes, yeah, dog for

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<v Speaker 1>the dog Crat. So she had the same idea. And

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<v Speaker 1>she's a licensed tour guide. Wow, amazing. She not super

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<v Speaker 1>tech savvy, so she said to me, look, let's work

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<v Speaker 1>together on this. You do the tech stuff, I will

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<v Speaker 1>do the walking tours. I'll do the history. She's a

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<v Speaker 1>great storyteller. So it was just the perfect partnership at

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<v Speaker 1>the perfect time. So I'm more behind the scenes. Peggy's

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<v Speaker 1>leading the tours. Our first year we sold out completely.

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<v Speaker 1>We had about twelve tours. Wow. Last year h August

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<v Speaker 1>to December, we had a three hundred person waiting list

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<v Speaker 1>and we had no rooms. So we hired two guides

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<v Speaker 1>for this season and we're going to be launching in April.

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<v Speaker 1>And essentially what the tour is is it's the history

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<v Speaker 1>of cats in New York City. So eighteen hundreds, nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>hundreds you'll hear a lot of fun stories about cats,

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<v Speaker 1>like Jerry Fox who saved the Borough Hall from burning down.

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<v Speaker 1>You'll hear about Ned of the Bridge, He's the first

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<v Speaker 1>cat to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. Wow, have a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of fun stories. They're told by license to our guys.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's all been curiated by Peggy, who's still still

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<v Speaker 1>doing tours. She's still you love it.

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<v Speaker 2>I love it, and it's you're still like in your

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<v Speaker 2>beginning stages, which is really cool.

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<v Speaker 3>The fact that it's sold out, Yeah, that's great. That's

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<v Speaker 3>really cool. Yeah, No, that's very cool, super fun. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>it sounds like it's super fun.

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<v Speaker 2>And I know I definitely want to do the tour

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<v Speaker 2>at some point, and now that you're really doing it

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<v Speaker 2>in April, definitely so. And I thought it was kind

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<v Speaker 2>of cool too because on your website, cats about towntours

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<v Speaker 2>dot Com that you also give private tours and that

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<v Speaker 2>might be a really good idea because I always feel

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<v Speaker 2>like people, especially I don't know what they're called, but

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<v Speaker 2>when people are when oh what is it called? When

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<v Speaker 2>women and when people get married and then they have

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<v Speaker 2>the brides that go out with their friends and they

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<v Speaker 2>go at drinking, well, a bachelorette Thank you. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>know why I just brain farted on that, but like,

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<v Speaker 2>that would be kind of fun to do for the

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<v Speaker 2>cat lover who is also getting married for the bachelorette party, Like,

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<v Speaker 2>come to New York and do the cats about town tours.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that would be kind of fun. And they

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<v Speaker 2>can do a private one. Because I see that you

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<v Speaker 2>said you stop at a cat cafe. I love cat cafes.

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<v Speaker 2>I got to tell you that.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's you know, the Brooklyn Heights Tour. It ends

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<v Speaker 1>at the Brooklyn Cat Cafe.

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<v Speaker 3>Uh huh.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, h huh.

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<v Speaker 1>And yeah, so we do the tour. It's an hour

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<v Speaker 1>and a half. It's about a mile and a half tour,

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<v Speaker 1>and we end at the Brooklyn Cat Cafe. So you're

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<v Speaker 1>hearing about cat history all day long and with you

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<v Speaker 1>playing with cats.

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<v Speaker 3>That is so cool. I love it.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So for those who want to either if you're

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<v Speaker 2>here in New York listening in the Tri state area,

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<v Speaker 2>or you want to come to New York City, this

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<v Speaker 2>is a great idea if you're looking for stuff to

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<v Speaker 2>do that's different but fun, cool cats about towntours dot com.

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<v Speaker 2>And if you want to help out the Bodega Cats

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<v Speaker 2>and get you know, get help and and also make

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<v Speaker 2>a donation and help it out, you can also go

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<v Speaker 2>to Bodega Cats of NY dot com. So, Dan Ramada,

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<v Speaker 2>thank you, thank you for all that you've been doing

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<v Speaker 2>and that you do and for all your information, because

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<v Speaker 2>it's really fascinating. But it's also very cool, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>because I'm sure there are people listening right now who

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<v Speaker 2>are like, I.

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<v Speaker 3>Had no idea. This stuff is so cool. Absolutely, I

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<v Speaker 3>love it so much.

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<v Speaker 1>For them, Maria, Yeah, really appreciate the platform. Thanks for

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<v Speaker 1>the time.

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<v Speaker 3>No, thank you,