“Cats of Manila” on Tuesday shared a photo of felines inspired by Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto‘s viral picture of a cat which was blurred on purpose.
The cat-centered community’s version, on the other hand, showed a rescue cat being neutered, as well as two other cats who are waiting for their turn.
“These cattos (cats) consented to have their (cherry emoji) removed but not their identities revealed. Inspired by Vico Sotto’s post,” the group said in the caption, tagging the Facebook page of the city chief.
The cat’s faces were covered by various cat emojis in an attempt to protect their identities.
The community shared that it conducted a free neuter service to help control the population of cats in localities.
Last week, Sotto amused social media users with a photo of a cat which was being neutered in Pasig’s “Free Spay/Castration and Anti-Rabies Vaccination” program. The cat’s face was censored to hide its identity.
The initiative was made possible with the coordination of the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association, the Bureau of Animal Industry and Vets Love Nature.
“Kasama po ito sa efforts natin para maging mas ligtas ang ating mga lansangan. Ngayong 2021, sunod sunod ang mga proyekto ng City Vet,” Sotto said in his post.
The cat’s photo caught the attention of local Twitter users who shared their reactions in the replies thread of the mayor’s post.
Kahit naka-blurred yung pusa natawa pa rin ako sa reaksyon niya 🤣😭 pic.twitter.com/pmtdZt1rPn
— 🐼 (@pandangpasig) January 21, 2021
Mali yata yung naka-blur? 😭 pic.twitter.com/AJhj0OuQXb
— Je 🐛 (@void_ratio) January 21, 2021
mood pic.twitter.com/PYOm8qNhqK
— Denee (@KneetzscheTFT) January 21, 2021
Hahahahahhaha made my day! Baka makita kasi ng jowa ni Muning.😄 pic.twitter.com/Gefv1eWtbF
— crystalandreams (@crystalandream3) January 21, 2021
Neutering an animal pertains to surgically removing its reproductive organs to prevent cases of overpopulation, especially among strays. The term is usually associated with male animals whose testicles are removed.
Meanwhile, the procedure is called spaying in females, where their ovaries and uterus are removed.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society said that neutering or spaying an animal removes their urge to find a mate when they approach their heat cycle. It also eliminates chances of them marking their territory through urine spraying.
The procedure likewise reduces their chances to suffer from illnesses or diseases like breast cancer, uterine infections, pyometra and testicular cancer.