A Brooklyn community is on a mission to find a beloved bodega cat that was stolen from its own doorstep.
Boka the cat hasn't been seen since Friday, when his owner said that surveillance video showed a guy hanging outside his store and scooping up the cat when it went outside.
Abdul Majeed is part owner of Green Olives Deli & Grill in Park Slope, but everyone who frequents the shop knows Boke pretty much owns the place.
"It’d be like 'Oh you wanna get coffee and see Boka?' You know, that was just routine,” said Annie Caltrider, a shop customer.
Majeed adopted Boka back in January when he was just 2 weeks old. Since then, Majeed has shared Boka with the whole neighborhood, giving the little feline a big family.
"They’ll be like 'Are you here to see the cat?' I’m like of course, always” said Muna Begum.
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That family is now deeply concerned, after Boka was seen on camera getting snatched up on the sidewalk right outside the store Friday afternoon.
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"The guy, he looked so weird because he was waiting outside, was hiding in the corner. He spent time,” said Majeed.
He said that Boka sometimes would sit outside, walk around a little bit or go to see the neighbors’ cat — but always came back. After two days of waiting, Majeed checked the cameras and saw a man looking inside the shop and then hanging by the corner.
When the man spotted Boka going around the corner, he can be seen on video following him — and then picking up him before walking down Eighth Street.
"As soon as I saw the video, I called the police and the police came and I filed a report,” said Majeed.
Customers shared Majeed’s posts on Instagram and reddit to help spread the word. One neighbor even printed out posters. People stopped by Seventh Avenue and Eighth Street all day, worried and checking in.
"We’re kind of on the lookout, we looked at his picture a million times. I have a lot of words for that person,” said Caltrider.
While that customer may have a lot to say to the person who took off with the beloved Boka, Majeed only has a few.
"Return the cat back, and if he really likes cats, go adopt one,” he said.
