During the first half-year of the pandemic, Rob was stuck at home “missing the cats” alongside many other New Yorkers. Now, with the continued rollout of various Covid vaccines, more and more New Yorkers are able to feast their eyes on fluffy corner shop cats. (If that won’t convince you to get vaccinated, what will?)
Rob has been putting the Bodega Cats account’s fame to some very positive use. He’s partnered up with various organizations that help raise awareness about controlling the cat population. Whether that’s through adoption, TNR (that’s ‘trap, neuter, return’), rescue, and helping pay for vet bills for rescue animals.
The founder said that he supports organizations like Greenpoint Cats, Flatbush Cats, and The Original TrapKing by raising awareness via social media and donating money to them from webstore sales.
The idea to start Bodega Cats came about by accident. One night back in 2012, Rob was out late when he came across a cat in a bodega. He took a photo, made an Instagram post, and it got a lot of positive feedback from his friends.
“My friends enjoyed the photos of the cats I posted more than the photos of me! At that point, I decided to start the Bodega Cats accounts in hopes of giving people a moment of positivity and smile throughout their day,” Rob told Bored Panda about how one photo turned the internet into a better place. For all of us.
