(Photo by Katie Sokoler/Gothamist)
The Algonquin Hotel will be hosting their annual Cat Fashion Show on August 5th this year, with a special salute to the NYPD and FDNY. This is Veronica Corningstone reporting...
Every year the Algonquin's hotel cat, Matilda, celebrates her birthday in the company of her feline friends, all of whom have been forced to wear clothing by their humans. This year that clothing will come from "certified animal fashion designer" Ada Nieves, who will be staging the show in the hotel’s Oak Room. The fashions will feature costumes inspired by the city’s Police and Fire Departments, as the event is "A Feline Salute to NYC's First Responders." They will also be honoring members of NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad.
This seems more like the first cat fashion show the hotel hosted in 2010 (as opposed to previous years, which have been scaled down). If you'd like to attend, that'll cost you $30, but 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals (they will have an adoption bus parked outside). You'll also be able to attend a reception with hors d’oeuvres.
The hotel's cat tradition dates back to the 1930s, when a straggly stray cat wandered in through the hotel’s front door looking for food and shelter. Owner Frank Case—"the consummate host most famous for first welcoming Dorothy Parker and her friends to start the legendary Algonquin Round Table in the hotel’s bar"—gladly welcomed the cat inside. This is the third Matilda (though the hotel has had closer to 10 cats since the '30s).
To reserve a spot, you must call the hotel's Alice De Almeida at (212) 419-9197.
