A six-month-old stray cat named Conan in the Philippines has been unofficially adopted by mall security guards in the Asian nation's capital, Manila.
The new feline friend has become a part of the guards' team and could be seen sporting a security guard vest while walking in front of other guards who are lined up to receive instructions from their senior officials.
Conan the Security Cat
Conan is only one among many stray cats who have been adopted by security guards across the city. The heartwarming story comes as, in 2019, there were roughly 12 million stray cats and dogs in the Philippines, based on data from the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).
Cats typically do not have the security skills similar to that of dogs and are known for having a tendency to sleep on the job. However, the furry creatures' company has endeared them to security guards who become bored while working their 12-hour shifts, as per the South China Morning Post.
One security guard who works at the Worldwide Corporate Centre in Manila, Philippines, Aljon Aquino, said that whenever Conan is not around, he loses the drive to go on duty. The mall personnel said that spending time with the cat on the job helps him work and relieves his stress levels.
Another security guard in a different part of the city, Rene Ogardo, said that having cats around while he works. He noted that this is especially true during the nighttime when he starts to feel sleepy because the felines play with him to keep him awake throughout his shift. Ogardo said that the cats he spends time with at work also follow him around whenever he goes on patrol, giving him an opportunity to talk.
A cleaning worker in the Worldwide Corporate Centre's car park is the one responsible for rescuing Conan when he was only a few weeks old. The feline was given the role of security cat following the death of his predecessor, Mingming.
One of the cats that security guard Ogardo has as one of his colleagues is named Shangki, and he is one of more than a dozen stray cats who are living in the commercial and corporate building in the capital of the Asian nation. Officials allow the felines to roam around and employees work together to buy food for the animals, according to Gulf News.
Stray Cats and Dogs in the Philippines
Many customers who see Conan at the mall are attracted to the notion that a furry feline is part of the security team. One resident, Anna Orosco, said that she finds Conan very approachable unlike dogs, who she said usually seem aggressive.
On the other hand, in Angeles City, Pampanga, stray cats and dogs have been given the opportunity to find a temporary home in the newly opened Angeles City Dog Pound and Animal Shelter. It is the only no-kill animal pound located in the province and is only the second of its kind in the entire Central Luzon region of the Philippines.
The shelter was built with the goal of preventing "abuse, maltreatment, cruelty, and exploitation of animals by humans." The center will work on rescuing stray animals and putting them up for adoption to find good homes.
The center was inaugurated on July 18 and is located at the Angeles City City Hall Compound. It is currently capable of housing up to 103 animals at the same time and the city government pledged that the center would "freely provide all the needs of the house animals, including food, check-ups, vitamins, and medicines, anti-rabies vaccinations, and spaying and neutering," said Goods News Pilipinas.
