Beloved Bodega Cat Snatched From Park Slope Deli, Owner Says

BROOKLYN, NY — A beloved bodega cat was snatched last week from the Park Slope deli he calls home, according to his owner.

Boka, a grey kitten with his own social media following, became a permanent fixture at Green Olives Deli & Grocery in January, when one of the deli's owners, Abdulmajeed Albahri, adopted him.

"Everyone here in the neighborhood became friends with the cat," Albahri told Patch. "People used to come to the store on a daily basis just to play with him."

That changed Friday, July 29 about 4:30 p.m. when someone loitering in front of the Seventh Avenue store snatched up Boka and walked off, Albahri said, citing deli surveillance footage of the catnapping now circulating on TikTok.

"I'm afraid he did something bad to the cat," the deli owner said of the catnapper, seen in the TikTok footage wearing a blue hat, khakis and flip flops.

"If he was someone who really liked cats he would go and adopt one instead of stealing mine."

After spotting the catnapping on his deli's security footage, Albahri reported the theft to police, who told Patch they are still investigating the incident as of Wednesday.

Thinking the NYPD would be preoccupied with other crimes, though, Albahri also posted word of Boka's disappearance on social media.

The news spread quickly: hundreds-of-thousands of people rallied on Instagram and Reddit alike to help find Boka and the story was picked up by multiple outlets.

This outpouring of support is heartening for Albahri, who is trying to stay hopeful as he enters another day without his cat.

"Everyone is helping look for Boka," Albahri said, noting that he's also offering an unspecified reward for anyone who returns the cat safe-and-sound.

"I'm sure we will get him back."