4 ms·

Was so excited when I saw this link. Was hoping it would be more like the Trees of New York [0], but appears to be a book. The bodega in my last neighborhood (

Was so excited when I saw this link. Was hoping it would be more like the Trees of New York [0], but appears to be a book. The bodega in my last neighborhood (Fort Greene) featured an orange cat, Ice Spice. Spice birthed Olivia who now has loads of kittens. They wander in and own like they own the place, even whining at customers to open the doors for them. Here's a picture I took of Olivia on top of the tobacco products [0] https://tree-map.nycgovparks.org/tree-map/neighborhood/177 https://tree-map.nycgovparks.org/tree-map/neighborhood/177 [1] https://ibb.co/h1cJTs0g https://ibb.co/h1cJTs0g

jjtheblunt 5mo ago
That sounds profoundly irresponsible of the associated humans.
- jkestner 5mo ago
  True. It's unconscionable to give a cat access to cigarettes.
  - fhdkweig 5mo ago
    But hilarious to give a raccoon alcohol. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=raccoon+liquor+store https://duckduckgo.com/?q=raccoon+liquor+store
- rafram 5mo ago
  Lots of bodega cats are allowed to go out on the street. They usually don't wander far. Cats know where home is.
- crooked-v 5mo ago
  It would be irresponsible for a pet owner... but you have to understand the context is New York rats, which exist in immense numbers, massively beyond every other major US city, because of a century of just leaving trash piled up on the sidewalk (https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-11-27/new-york-city-generates-44-million-pounds-of-garbage-a-day-the-city-has-a-plan-to-contain-the-mess https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-11-27/new-yo...). Bodega cats aren't pets, they're a cheap and low-impact way to keep rats from moving into the bodega en masse. If one gets run over by a car, that's just an unfortunate cost of business for a bodega owner who needs an option that works better than putting glue traps every five feet or fumigating the entire place every week.
  - 3eb7988a1663 5mo ago
    Chicago had a ten-year streak as rattiest city[0]. Recently lost the crown to Los Angeles. [0] https://www.orkin.com/press-room/worst-cities-for-rats-los-angeles https://www.orkin.com/press-room/worst-cities-for-rats-los-a...
    - jayd16 5mo ago
      This is Orkin's view, correct? I wonder if its just a matter of controlling more of the market. I can't say I've seen a Western Exterminator guy-with-hammer vs rat adornment in quite some years.
  - timschmidt 5mo ago
    > low-impact As one of the 10% of humanity who has a severe allergy to cats which causes me to be unable to breathe, break out in hives, and weep incredible amounts from every exposed mucus membrane, I had to laugh at this. And cry a little. Y'all have no idea how high impact cats are. Fel D proteins seem to trigger immune responses across a broad range of mammals. They are homologs of slow loris venom which also causes intense immune responses. Hypothesis is that they evolved in part by inducing an intense allergic response when the cat is eaten. Which obviously helps the survival of the next cat that predator encounters. It seems to be sheer accident that 90% of humanity isn't bothered by it. Even so, cat allergies are the single most common allergy among humans. Cats shed Fel D 1 everywhere. Being in the same room with one is enough to wreck me for hours to a week. Some folks can control it with medication, but I can't take enough to be in the same room with one. Rat traps are less expensive, more effective, less prone to killing things other than rats, sanitary, don't have to be fed, don't need a litter box, don't cause allergies, don't need shots, medications, or vet visits, and don't have kittens. Far lower impact and much less work than a cat. Killing rats is just an excuse people use to keep an emotional support critter around. And is unfortunately inconsiderate of 1 in every 10 people in public spaces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy_to_cats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy_to_cats
    - kulahan 5mo ago
      Right but cats are awesome
thread_id 5mo ago
wait what? NYC Parks has a tree map?

jjtheblunt 5mo ago

That sounds profoundly irresponsible of the associated humans.

jkestner 5mo ago
True. It's unconscionable to give a cat access to cigarettes.
- fhdkweig 5mo ago
  But hilarious to give a raccoon alcohol. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=raccoon+liquor+store https://duckduckgo.com/?q=raccoon+liquor+store
rafram 5mo ago
Lots of bodega cats are allowed to go out on the street. They usually don't wander far. Cats know where home is.
crooked-v 5mo ago
It would be irresponsible for a pet owner... but you have to understand the context is New York rats, which exist in immense numbers, massively beyond every other major US city, because of a century of just leaving trash piled up on the sidewalk (https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-11-27/new-york-city-generates-44-million-pounds-of-garbage-a-day-the-city-has-a-plan-to-contain-the-mess https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-11-27/new-yo...). Bodega cats aren't pets, they're a cheap and low-impact way to keep rats from moving into the bodega en masse. If one gets run over by a car, that's just an unfortunate cost of business for a bodega owner who needs an option that works better than putting glue traps every five feet or fumigating the entire place every week.
- 3eb7988a1663 5mo ago
  Chicago had a ten-year streak as rattiest city[0]. Recently lost the crown to Los Angeles. [0] https://www.orkin.com/press-room/worst-cities-for-rats-los-angeles https://www.orkin.com/press-room/worst-cities-for-rats-los-a...
  - jayd16 5mo ago
    This is Orkin's view, correct? I wonder if its just a matter of controlling more of the market. I can't say I've seen a Western Exterminator guy-with-hammer vs rat adornment in quite some years.
- timschmidt 5mo ago
  > low-impact As one of the 10% of humanity who has a severe allergy to cats which causes me to be unable to breathe, break out in hives, and weep incredible amounts from every exposed mucus membrane, I had to laugh at this. And cry a little. Y'all have no idea how high impact cats are. Fel D proteins seem to trigger immune responses across a broad range of mammals. They are homologs of slow loris venom which also causes intense immune responses. Hypothesis is that they evolved in part by inducing an intense allergic response when the cat is eaten. Which obviously helps the survival of the next cat that predator encounters. It seems to be sheer accident that 90% of humanity isn't bothered by it. Even so, cat allergies are the single most common allergy among humans. Cats shed Fel D 1 everywhere. Being in the same room with one is enough to wreck me for hours to a week. Some folks can control it with medication, but I can't take enough to be in the same room with one. Rat traps are less expensive, more effective, less prone to killing things other than rats, sanitary, don't have to be fed, don't need a litter box, don't cause allergies, don't need shots, medications, or vet visits, and don't have kittens. Far lower impact and much less work than a cat. Killing rats is just an excuse people use to keep an emotional support critter around. And is unfortunately inconsiderate of 1 in every 10 people in public spaces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy_to_cats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy_to_cats
  - kulahan 5mo ago
    Right but cats are awesome

thread_id 5mo ago

wait what? NYC Parks has a tree map?