Bonus: Matilda III (Formerly at the Algonquin Hotel)

This list wouldn’t be complete without giving a shout out to Matilda III, the beloved, long-haired cat who formerly strolled the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel. We even had a chance to “interview” her in person (she actually “answered” her own emails!). She passed away on October 21, 2017. We learned of the news through a Facebook note posted by her keeper, Rosemary May Kenigsberg, who adopted Matilda after her retirement.

“Matilda III fell into a sleep today at the emergency vet clinic and did not wake up,” states the Facebook post, which was posted at 3:56pm. “Last evening she may have had a stroke, woke up with her hind legs very weak, then lost all control of her bladder. She did not want to be touched, her sister Miss Holley sat with her before we left and at the clinic she slipped away.” According to Kenigsberg, Matilda had kidney disease, and was about 11 or 12-years-old when she passed in her home in Duluth, Minn.

After seven years at the hotel, Matilda III, who arrived from the North Shore Animal League, retired from her post in July 2017. And while the hotel has had feline occupants since the early 1900’s, Matilda was certainly the most famous: she had dedicated social media accounts, had screen time on international television, and even received emails from human fans, who would visit her in person bearing gifts.

Next, check out a few of NYC’s pet cafes and get to know the Shop Cats of NYC. Buy the book Shop Cats of New York on Amazon.