A cat named Ivy sits in a bodega corner store on December 12, 2025 in New York City. Thousands of felines live in New York’s corner shops, known as "bodegas," even though their presence is illegal. Praised for warding off pests, so-called bodega cats are also a cultural fixture for New Yorkers, some of whom are now pushing to enshrine legal rights for the little store helpers. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)