Algonquin Kitty Must Be Tied Up
Note to NYC’s Dept. of Health: You’re more likely to catch something from other guests at the Algonquin Hotel than from Matilda the cat.
The city agency has “reminded” the hotel that “pets in food-service facilities” are not allowed — and the Algonquin serves food in its lobby. So, Matilda III, the latest incarnation of the famed Algonquin Cat, now has to be tied up.
Better idea: Alert all clients that there’s a cat at the hotel. If they’re afraid of catching something from Matilda than from the scores of humans who are crammed into this small hotel at any given time, there are plenty of cat-free hotels to welcome them.
P.S. Algonquin trivia item: One afternoon, Edna Ferber, a member of the hotel’s exclusive literary Round Table arrived at The Algonquin in a new suit similar to the one Noel Coward was wearing. “You look almost like a man,” Coward said as he greeted her. “So do you,” replied Ferber.