{"id":566505,"date":"2026-02-04T20:57:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T20:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/566505\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T20:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T20:57:13","slug":"cat-power-new-york-citys-shop-cats-play-with-spring-baubles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/566505\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat Power: New York City\u2019s Shop Cats Play With Spring Baubles"},"content":{"rendered":"

You probably think we\u2019re all obsessed with dogs<\/a> over here at Vogue\u2014and in a way, you\u2019re right!<\/a> But I\u2019m here to report that cats have always had a place in our pages as well: they featured in the very first issue of the magazine in 1892 (!), and have inspired countless covers, photo shoots, and stories in the years since.<\/p>\n

The latest kitties to captivate us? The stars of Mad Realities\u2019 Shop Cats<\/a>. In each episode, host Michelladonna<\/a> stops by a bodega, mom-and-pop store, or some other small business where she\u2019s heard there\u2019s a cat inside\u2014and the result is pure feline fantasia. \u201cPeople always think New Yorkers have a grumpy face,\u201d Michelladonna says. \u201cBut when I start asking a shopkeeper about their cat, they just melt.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Shop Cats, Michelladonna likes to play \u201cHunter or Gatherer\u201d with their subjects: Will they chase after a feathered cat wand, climbing piles of paper towels to reach their prey (these are the hunters), or lay there on the checkered tile, waiting for the toy to come to them (the gathers)? It\u2019s a bit like a personality quiz\u2014and one of Michelladonna\u2019s favorite things about cats in general is how perfectly themselves they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are petty,\u201d she says. \u201cThey know their boundaries. Cats will tell you exactly where they want to be pet, for how long, and when it should end. And when they are no longer interested in you, they\u2019ll also let you know. It\u2019s an inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a near-freezing recent day in New York, we at Vogue decided to vary the format a bit, and play a version of Hunter or Gatherer where Michelladonna\u2019s wand was swapped out for swingy, sparkly, jewelry from the spring runways. (Please note: No necklaces\u2014or claws\u2014were harmed in the making of this photo shoot.) Our models? Some of New York City\u2019s coolest cats: Willy, Luna, Casper, and Simba.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

TAKE PAWS<\/strong>
Willy of Otis & Finn Barbershop<\/a>, in Long Island City, breaks the fourth wall. Don\u2019t Let Disco tassel necklace.<\/p>\n

Photographed by Jeremy Liebman\"Image<\/p>\n

SWIPE RIGHT<\/strong>
\u201cWilly can be a little shy, but I always imagine he has a crazy fade haircut since he works in a barber shop,\u201d Michelladonna says. Of Rare Origin tassel necklace.<\/p>\n

Photographed by Jeremy Liebman