Copyright Variety
Meow! Zohran Mamdani is even trying to get the feline vote in his campaign to become the next mayor of New York City. With just days to go before the Nov. 4 election, the candidate stopped by a Bronx bodega to make an appearance on “Shop Cats,” Mad Realities’ show that features comedian Michelledonna “interviewing” bodega kitties. Mamdani is seen meeting the bodega’s resident puss, a calico cat named Coca. “Coca is cute,” he says. “Coca wants to play. Coca wants to live in a city she can afford.” Yes, he said that. No word is he has a policy statement on rent-controlled catios. Also in the episode, Mamdani dances a few beats of the Dominican dance Bachata and says, “I love bodega cats. And I also love an egg and cheese on a roll with jalapeños.” The episode is available on TikTok and Instagram at @shopcats. “Shop Cats” is a consistent viral hit with more than 793,400 followers on TikTok and 228,000 on Instagram. Separate from the show, there also happens to be a Cats4Zohran Instagram account with about 11,000 followers. Its bio reads, “Cats catvassing for Zohran! A livable NYC = safer affordable homes + more treats!” In comparison, a Dogs4Zohran Instagram only has 708 followers. Mamdani is leading in the polls to win the three-way race for mayor against former New York governor and independent candidate Andrew M. Cuomo and Republican activist Curtis Sliwa. In addition to “Shop Cats,” Mad Realities is also behind “Hollywood IQ,” an on-the-street trivia showdown for pop culture obsessives, rewarding the “human IMDbs” who can identify celebrity faces or match films to their box office grosses.
