Cats in the office

Ming-Ming is a female bobtail cat who is now spoiled with attention and care from the workers of the DVMF after she was rescued from the streets.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

There are over 40 workers at the office of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) located inside the now-defunct Cebu City Slaughterhouse at the North Reclamation Area (NRA) in Mandaue City.

But six of them have four legs, tails, and can take breaks any time they want.

Their two-legged officemates call them by different nicknames; but all will respond to “wswswswsws.”

They are the six rescued cats under the care of DVMF Cebu City for months now.

Cebu City Veterinarian Dr. Alice Utlang told Cebu Daily News that having the felines in their office is also meant to promote pets as part of the workplace culture.

“Animals are actually great stress relievers inside the office. As long as we take care of them responsibly, and show them that they’re loved, they’ll give back that love to you,” said Utlang.

Aside from cats, DVMF has also adopted several dogs rescued from the streets; but unlike the cats who stay inside the office licking their furs and relaxing, Utlang said that DVMF would rather have the dogs stay outside the building.

A white and gray, male tabby, fondly called Tom-Tom, dominates the DVMF office, including Utlang’s.

The cat loves to jump from one table to another, seeking the attention of every employee.

“Tom-Tom is the alpha cat in the office. He likes being treated as if he’s the boss. The other cats won’t bother getting into trouble with him,” Utlang said.

“But he’s a bit shy to visitors. He’s quite selective when he wants people to pet him, scratch his head. But if he purrs or lets you scratch his head, then he really likes you. Cats are like that,” she added.

Tom-Tom (above photo, left and right photo) is the alpha cat in the DVMF’s office. Dr. Alice Utlang, on the other hand, holds up Ming-Ming (right), Tom-Tom’s female companion. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Tom-Tom, who was rescued off the streets of Cebu City over five months ago, is still up for adoption.

His reputation as an alpha cat can be attributed to his size since he weighs more than five kilograms, which is considered heavy for a cat.

Before Tom-Tom was rescued , Utlang said he was in a dire condition and needed to be attended to right away.

“All the cats here in the office are actually rescued cats. Since there are concerned citizens who donate food for them, we might as well take care of them here in the office, too,” Utlang explained.

During times when Tom-Tom does not feel like greeting visitors or meowing to get the employees’ attention, his female bobtail companion, Ming-Ming, readily steals the spotlight.

Ming-Ming is your typical curious cat who would boop her nose if a camera is pointed at her.

She also loves to type on the keyboard, sniff through piles of paperwork, and bump her head on visitors’ legs.

Ming-Ming, a rescued cat, rests on one of the Cebu City Veterinary office’s tables. She is one of the six feline “officemates” at DVMF.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

‘Iring-iring’

“The Cebuano term ‘iring-iring’ we often associate to flirting couples, is actually derived from the way cats seek attention,” said Utlang.

“They would stick their bodies to our legs, curl their tails around our ankles if they want to be pet — just like when our lover wants some affection,” Utlang further explained.

Employees in DVMF attest that having cats inside the office has been an effective stress reliever.

One of them is Analyn Calungsod who said that Ming-Ming’s frequent visits to her work area always immediately
dispel any stress she’s been having at the time.

“Every time we pet them, our stress seems to go away. There are times when they could be annoying especially when they try to slow down your work or you get distracted; but nevertheless, they really help us,” Calungsod said.