Beloved NYC Shop Cats Immortalized in Revised Book, Including a Decade-Plus Veteran
NEW YORK – A new edition of the popular book Shop Cats of New York will hit shelves September 9th, showcasing the unique lives and personalities of dozens of feline employees working in businesses across the five boroughs.The revised anthology,originally published in 2016,features 20 new shop cats alongside favorites from the first edition,capturing a slice of New York City culture that manny residents cherish.
The book’s creators, Tamar Arslanian and photographer Andrew Marttila, decided to revisit the project after the first edition went out of print following the COVID-19 pandemic.They realized a simple reprint wouldn’t suffice, as many of the original shop cats had passed away. “We had this interest to have it reprinted by another publishing house as-is, but as we started to go back pitching this idea, we decided to do a revised version – it would be kind of weird to put out of a book that’s just the history of shop cats of New York … as most of those cats [in the first edition] have since passed,” Marttila explained.
Among the featured felines is Ratty,a calico at Casey Rubber Stamps in the East Village,who has greeted customers from her window perch for years. Owner john Casey rescued Ratty-originally named Floria-with the intention of pest control, though she “doesn’t do it.” Casey affectionately nicknamed her “Ratty the Catty” due to her small size.
another standout is Ralphie, the shop cat at The Compleat Sculptor in Chelsea, Manhattan. Marttila emphasized his photographic approach: “my methods are grounded in patience and understanding and being calm: I go into the situation and I befriend the cats, first and foremost.I let the cats be themselves. The best pictures of animals are when they’re pleasant – and most of the animals in new York are used to people being around all the time.”
The book celebrates the accessible companionship these cats offer. “It’s a really cool, fun thing to go to New York City or live in New York City and befriend all the cats,” Martilla said. “Maybe not everyone has space in their apartment, but you can visit a shop down the street – and [those cats] always have a multitude of friends.”
