#bodega-cat

#bodega-cat

KitKat graced the counters of Randa's Market on 16th Street, near the historic Roxie Theater in the Mission District. KitKat was first introduced on the store's Instagram page six years ago, quickly winning over the hearts of customers. He wasn't a surly or suspicious cat - he could be seen playing with someone's dangling hoodie drawstrings; snoozing in front of shelves with liquor bottles; inside a cardboard box marked with his name; greeting the neighborhood dogs; even dressing up as Santa Claus.

Jeffrey Lucas, a longtime friend of KitKat, said the "funniest thing" he ever did with KitKat was "teach him Ukrainian." He taught the bodega cat two simple commands: De kit (Where's the cat?) and Kit tam (Cat's over there). Lucas recalled this while sitting at the end of the bar on Tuesday at Delirium, next to Randa's Market, the liquor store that KitKat called home.

Someone deliberately set dogs on a defenseless cat while people watched and cheered, calling the incident pure evil, said Dan Rimada of Bodega Cats of New York.