“He’s been such a bad boy lately,” said a slight woman in gentle anguish as she reached for her slim, black cat, who quickly ran for the door to greet customers.

“Sasha went exploring last night and I almost had a heart attack. I had neighbors looking for him,” she added fondly in her native Russian, stroking the lithe feline affectionately.

Curiosity isn’t confined to the cat in Flowers Symphony, a floral shop in Mill Basin, for it contains some of the most fascinating pieces of authentic memorabilia in the neighborhood, if not the entire borough.

The ambiance in Anna Tabachnikova’s shop is that of a very active museum. She has photographs; Soviet New Year ornaments; pottery; newspapers; magazines; toys; a record player and a phonograph player, all of which are authentic relics of particularly interesting times in history.