NYC neighbors rescue abandoned bodega cat left for 5 weeks in ‘deplorable’ shuttered deli: ‘Rags to riches’
They pulled off the purr-fect rescue.
A group of Hell’s Kitchen neighbors weren’t feline fine about a bodega cat they found left abandoned for more than five weeks in a shuttered deli — so they joined forces to save her.
“It’s rags to riches. She went from a cold basement to a comfortable apartment curled up on [a] bed,” said Tiff Winton, one of the neighbors who came to her aid.
Residents spotted the ditched kitty, Leila, meowing in distress last week near a window at the Citra Gourmet Deli on Tenth Avenue near West 45th Street, they told The Post.
The kitty’s plight was first reported by blog W42ST.
Ben Lagman, who lives nearby, tried to feed the cat through a broken door to no avail — then called 311 to report the alleged animal neglect.
“We thought this cat might die, we didn’t know if there was AC in there, and there was broken glass on the floor,” Lagman said. “It was deplorable.”
“The poor thing was in horrible shape. She was dirty and hungry,” he said.
Winton said the imperiled pet — left without even a chopped cheese to munch on — only survived because the owner stopped by occasionally to feed her.
“She was meowing incessantly. She was starving,” Winton said.
“There were empty cat food cans all over the store, a bed in a cold weird basement, she was totally dehydrated. She survived because they were feeding her, but they were coming by randomly,” Winton said.
Neighbors teamed up via a Facebook group Sunday and made it their mission to get in touch with the shop owner, Winton said.
Eventually, a man with keys met them at the bodega and agreed to turn over the cat to Winston on Monday.
“She’s such a good kitty, she didn’t fight. She seemed to know she was being rescued,” Winton said.
The bodega owner told neighbors that though he’d been feeding the cat, he didn’t want to take her with him to his new shop because she “likes to scratch,” according to an Instagram post by Mirjana Vicari, another neighbor who helped with the rescue.
Lagman has since adopted the lucky feline — who is lapping up her new life of luxury.
“Now the cat is lying on Ben’s bed watching television,” Winton said. “Within an hour of being there she was relaxed and purring,” Winton said.
Lagman, who launched a GoFundMe page for the rescue cat, said the fortunate feline was initially skittish after a trip to the vet but that she soon calmed down and got cuddly.
The veterinarian told Lagman the cat is likely in its teens. He said that he was also considering changing its name to “Deli.”
“Her personality went from very afraid to extraordinarily affectionate,” he said. “I’m blessed to have her.”
