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Bodega cats of New York

bodegacatsofnewyork.com

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Re: Bodega cats of New York

#51

Post by technothrasher »

nonethewiser wrote: post #4
chirau wrote: post #2

When i first realized that their primary purpose was to get rid of rats, I had quite the chuckle.

Yeah this is why I dont find it endearing. It's just pointing to unsanitary conditions. It's ubiquitous in NYC which may have dulled some senses but it's not ubiquitous everywhere. Cat's themselves are not very sanitary. Better than rats, sure, but they are a source of toxoplasmosis which is very dangerous to pregnant women for example. Limiting exposure is manageable when keeping as a pet, but its a terrible baselin…

The rats that the cats are keeping out of the stores are a much larger source of pathogen transmission to humans than the cats are. Not only do rats carry many more dangerous diseases than cats, but both can also transmit toxoplasmosis to humans. As it is transmitted through contact with feces, from which of the two are you more likely to encounter feces spread all over the store?

So, while I actually find both rats and cats endearing, I'd take the cats over wild rats in the stores any day.

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#52

Post by wahern »

blatherard wrote: post #10
bombcar wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vast majority of NYCs problem can be tied to their trash debacle, which is so outlandish it's hard for anyone not from there to believe is a real thing in 2206. It appears they finally discovered dumpsters recently: https://www.amny.com/news/curbside-empire-trash-bins-coming-... (Another crazy trash city was (is?) Seattle with their weird judgement causing everyone to compact their trash.)

And the difficulties of trash handling are further traceable, at least in Manhattan, to the decision by city planners in 1811 to not build alleys. No obvious place to store trash, nor an obvious place to put it when being collected. If you drive in Manhattan you'll also notice a whole lot of delivery trucks and other vehicles blocking lanes, and a lot of designated delivery-only parking zones. This is rooted in the s…

San Francisco doesn't have alleys, either, not anymore than NYC. In older buildings, including older apartment buildings, trash cans are kept under stairways, in service rooms, in ground-level hallways, or for single-family homes in garages or backyards, then wheeled out to the sidewalk the night before collection day, blocking pedestrians. Then the garbage men have to roll those bins into the street, maneuvering around parked cars, etc. NYC doesn't have trash cans because New Yorkers perennially chose to continue to throw their trash on the ground like they always had. Blame unions, blame habituation, but you can't blame NYC's architecture and layout; nothing about it is unique compared to other cities globally or even nationally.

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#53

Post by trhway »

technothrasher wrote: post #51
nonethewiser wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah this is why I dont find it endearing. It's just pointing to unsanitary conditions. It's ubiquitous in NYC which may have dulled some senses but it's not ubiquitous everywhere. Cat's themselves are not very sanitary. Better than rats, sure, but they are a source of toxoplasmosis which is very dangerous to pregnant women for example. Limiting exposure is manageable when keeping as a pet, but its a terrible baselin…

The rats that the cats are keeping out of the stores are a much larger source of pathogen transmission to humans than the cats are. Not only do rats carry many more dangerous diseases than cats, but both can also transmit toxoplasmosis to humans. As it is transmitted through contact with feces, from which of the two are you more likely to encounter feces spread all over the store? So, while I actually find both rats…

I think we owe our civilization to cats - without them we would have never been able to stop being hunters-gatherers and settle into agricultural society as having food stores would have been impossible due to rats.

And Black Death, owing to Church persecution of cats, is another great illustration of cats' role.

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#54

Post by throwaway29812 »

trhway wrote: post #53
technothrasher wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The rats that the cats are keeping out of the stores are a much larger source of pathogen transmission to humans than the cats are. Not only do rats carry many more dangerous diseases than cats, but both can also transmit toxoplasmosis to humans. As it is transmitted through contact with feces, from which of the two are you more likely to encounter feces spread all over the store? So, while I actually find both rats…

I think we owe our civilization to cats - without them we would have never been able to stop being hunters-gatherers and settle into agricultural society as having food stores would have been impossible due to rats. And Black Death, owing to Church persecution of cats, is another great illustration of cats' role.

[dead]

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#55

Post by nkrisc »

sporadicism wrote: post #29
kirubakaran wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most humans (and other beings) aren't pregnant or immunocompromised Just because pregnant and immuno-compromised people are in the minority, it's not a big deal?

Additionally, I can't imagine being blase about gaining parasites just because you're not pregnant or immunocompromised.

You’ve likely already got many critters living in an on you.

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#56

Post by jjtheblunt »

delusional wrote: post #36
jjtheblunt wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

dog person here : they're unsanitary how? they constantly fastidously clean themselves, from what i see. dogs roll in rotting anything for sport.

I suppose they're unsanitary in the same way all animals that aren't humans are: They don't was their hands? Cats don't strike me a particularly dirty creatures. They're not exactly clean and well groomed from nature, but no animal really is.

> they're unsanitary in the same way all animals that aren't humans are: they don't was[h] their hands

Raccoons say "hold my beer"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GLuR7a-hPs

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#57

Post by jjtheblunt »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #40
jjtheblunt wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

dog person here : they're unsanitary how? they constantly fastidously clean themselves, from what i see. dogs roll in rotting anything for sport.

If you covered yourself in spit would that be sanitary?

you just made me wonder if the fact we sweat serves a similar purpose as your spit covering example.

(i don't know, but you triggered a thought!)

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#58

Post by Tsiklon »

As a blow in to New York, I find the bodega cats a very charming tradition. Reminding me of “tough as old boots” farm cats, working animals with a purpose and a style all their own.

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#59

Post by brianwawok »

wahern wrote: post #52
blatherard wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the difficulties of trash handling are further traceable, at least in Manhattan, to the decision by city planners in 1811 to not build alleys. No obvious place to store trash, nor an obvious place to put it when being collected. If you drive in Manhattan you'll also notice a whole lot of delivery trucks and other vehicles blocking lanes, and a lot of designated delivery-only parking zones. This is rooted in the s…

San Francisco doesn't have alleys, either, not anymore than NYC. In older buildings, including older apartment buildings, trash cans are kept under stairways, in service rooms, in ground-level hallways, or for single-family homes in garages or backyards, then wheeled out to the sidewalk the night before collection day, blocking pedestrians. Then the garbage men have to roll those bins into the street, maneuvering aro…

Chicago has allys. Trash goes in ally. Streets smell nice.

NYC has no allys. Trash goes on sidewalk. Streets smell stinky.

Re: Bodega cats of New York

#60

Post by colechristensen »

kirubakaran wrote: post #48
colechristensen wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A third of the entire human population is infected with toxoplasmosis, in some places nearly every human. If you put humans in a sterile bubble you get a different set of diseases, to a considerably greater degree because your immune system evolved in an environment where you actually got infections.

By that logic, we shouldn't be fighting malaria in Africa either. Are there any benefits to toxoplasmosis besides some people finding the vector cute? The alternative isn't living in a sterile bubble.

Without infections your immune system gets bored and starts attacking you. You need to have something for your immune system to do on a regular basis. Toxo is to a very large degree asymptomatic. You are full of and covered with organisms. Being paranoid about infection isn't helpful to anyone. Ok you don't like cats, that's fine, but are you as passionate about rare steak which is a much more common vector?

Malaria... is not asymptomatic.

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