Man Sues Bodega Over Alleged Cat Attack

Meow! The Post reports that a Long Island man is suing a West Village bodega Andy's Deli at Seventh and Grove Street because the bodega's cat attacked him - and wants $5 million. However, Andy's Deli owner Andy Singh says he doesn't even own a cat. Dunh dunh DUNH!

The claim: Adalberto DeSousa says he went to Andy's to buy a sandwich when he "felt something strange on my shoes." It was a kitty at his feet. DeSousa said, "I didn't want to hit the cat, so I pushed him away with my hand," only for the cat to attack his hand and arm.

"A guy in the story came over and yelled at me to get off the cat," DeSousa said. "A lot of blood came out."

He said that deli-store clerk gave him a bottle of rubbing alcohol and let him rinse the blood off his hand in the sink.

DeSousa said he grabbed his drink and his Philly cheese steak and went home to Inwood, L.I.

When he woke up the next day, he said, his hand was red, throbbing and swollen.

DeSousa says he was in the hospital for a month and "says he still has not regained full use of his right hand." But Singh told the Post, "We don't have a cat. We've never had a cat."

Though many bodegas have cats, bodega cats are actually against the health code. For some reason, the Health Department thinks that having cats means there are mice in an establishment, versus being a preemptive measure against mice. The only stores allowed to have cats wandering around are pet stores.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts & Entertainment on September 6, 2007 2:55 PM

Comments [rss]

robingee

I guess the rules are different for offices, since the place I used to work had an office cat, and when the Health Inspector came to check up on some smoking complaint, he told us cats were OK. In fact, any pets are Ok in an office setting. I guess because it's private property? You could even have a pony!

guest

Also.. someone brought up a really good point in another article about bodega cats. Whey are DOGS allowed to go into just about any store with their owners? Do I really want dogs rubbing up against the clothes I buy at Filene's Basement? Or in the coffee shop where I buy my bagel?

guest

the DOH has a hi-LAR-ious interpretation of the relationship between cats and mice.

guest

Who would be so stupid as to touch an outdoors cat, especially in the city? I hope his hand falls off. What a dick.

And to everybody going crazy about cat dander and rats and roaches and shit WOW, move somewhere else! Go back to the burbs, you pussies!

Reflect

Sue crazed america, im sure he will (would) take the money and give it to the A.S.P.C.A. I hope he goes to kitty hell where he has to give cats cold water baths, live off fancy feast and face the aroma

of smouldering used boxes of litter.

guest

i can haz loyur?

guest

WHAT A PUSSY

rtd2101

Reason #1,593 why there should be a wall built at the Nassau/Queens County line.

Spirit of 76

If his right hand has all the problems, why is it his left hand has all the tubes coming out of it in the Post photo? He's afraid of cats? Puh-leeze. I've never met anyone who was afraid of cats. Some may not like cats, but they're not afraid of them. When was the last time anyone saw a story about "cat mauls/kills man/baby/child"? They're not Rottweilers or pit bulls, for crying out loud.

guest

I think I was there today. On my poster route. One of those places had a big cat. Grey, and probably very old.

guest

Should make cat stew with it...delish!

guest

some people think opting to respect animals will take power from them...disassociation is difficult for some minds.

guest

I'd rather have a kitty than a SUV.

what kind of person raises his hand at a pet?

dadoc

I've got no probs with the kitties, except I'm allergic to them (Not the freaks who get all spazzed if they see a cat, just can't touch 'em).

But, cat bites have a VERY high rate of infection (up to 80% in the first 24H), and a deep space infection of the hand/foot, especially a joint space or tendon sheath is a surgical emergency and can require multiple surgeries and 6-8 weeks of IV antibiotics. Yeah, the guy may seem like a wuss to the puss, but if he sustained a bite by a dog, parrot or the owner's kid, the media wouldn't be trolling to the whack cat folks. So the point is, the guy got bitten by an animal (any animal) in a place where an animal, by law, was not supposed to be, and was hospitalized for a month, likely had multiple surgeries (I&D, fasciotomy, debridement, grafting) and will likely have a significant loss of function of his (statistically) dominant extremity. If he got scratched by an SUV the folks here would blame the SUV, no problem, and say he should have been near a bike.

Dadoc

ed_Extinct

Adalberto DeSousa is a wimp.

guest

#6: The New Yorker once had a cartoon of an independent book store window, sign naming the store read "Cat-Free Book Store."

guest

allergic people are as annoying as finicky eaters.

eat right and healthy and you shouldn't have allergies.

cats can sense assholes and this cat did his job.

guest

bohooo allergic people, BOOHOOOOOOO

MarygraceNYC

What a horrible human being. And I don't even like cats, but this is pure crap. Leave the kitties alone dude and work for a living instead of sue, sue, sue!!

Oh and the guy still had enough strengthand sense to grab his drink and food and go home to Long Island. I bet he ate the food too. Please.

Oh and they are called FLID's.... Those folks from Long Island.