BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Sheshe's alive!
The cat trapped inside a longtime Brooklyn candy store shuttered by its new landlord more than a month ago was heard mewing through the locked grate Wednesday.
But attempts to rescue the 11-year-old pet from Jimmy’s Candy Store at 406 Tompkins Ave. remained unsuccessful.
The new landlord for the building locked the store's doors on May 27 following a court ruling in favor of the new deed holder.
Legal documents detailed the business had an expired lease and owed $4,000 in back rent.
Jimmy’s Candy Store operated on the block for more than 40 years and owner Jimmy Leary, 78, contends that the new owners increased the rent and never came to pick up payment.
He and his daughter, Deborah Leary, said they were unable to retrieve any of their belongings since late May — including Sheshe.
A June 12 court ruling asked that the animal be returned to the family, but Sheshe remains trapped inside the shop.
Landlord representatives are caring for the cat, according to court documents, and a worker stopped by Wednesday morning to feed her, neighbors said.
Police from the 79th Precinct arrived shortly after, saying they received a call of an animal locked indoors.
But, after knocking on the gate, officers said they were unable to hear the cat or prove that it was inside and they couldn't take action as it was not an emergency and James Leary did not have contact information for his landlord.
Hours later, however, Sheshe was heard by a DNAinfo reporter mewing through the shuttered entranceway.
Deborah Leary said she had contacted the building's manager and was hoping to make arrangements for removing their property on Friday.
Calls to the landlord by DNAinfo were referred to his lawyer, who would only speak about the court's action. A man who identified himself as the building manager declined to talk.
Once freed, Sheshe will have a home with John Perez, a friend of James Leary who delivered weekly papers to the store. The cat had always lived at the store and not at the family's home, Deborah Leary said.
“She’s the sweetest cat,” Perez said. “I agreed to come and get her and help Jimmy move his stuff out.”
Sheshe was known to be feisty, keeping dogs and mice out of the store. But she took a liking to Perez, James Leary said.
“That cat loved him. When he used to come around on Wednesdays, she’d run right into his arms,” he added.
“She needs to be taken care of. I just want to get my cat, get my stuff and move on with my life. At my age, I don’t want no fight.”
