In quiet hallways, bustling canteens, and steadfast university scenes, a shadow roams beneath students’ eyes: a friend, an icon, a cat—startling with a meow.

With their daily presence, the cats of HAU have become a part of campus life, leaving paw prints on the corridors, both as physical companions and emotional anchors for the community.

It’s a common scene: Angelites offering leftovers, treats, a loving gaze, or a nervous attempt to pet a feline friend.

Despite the familiar wholesome scenario, there stands a quiet truth as to why the cats have to rely on kind hearts: even though they are seen as members of the community, they live off of limited care brought by HAU’s institutional blindness to their needs.

From the lack of basic feeding stations to the absence of veterinary care, the cats rely on the Angelite community to survive — living in a paradox of coexisting in a caring environment amid unclear and inconsistent animal welfare policies in HAU.

They stand in the dichotomy of Angelite empathy and institutional neglect, being undermined by the university as strays. Thus, behind every meow, it begs the question: why leave them alone in their woes?

HAU and a Meow in Feline Footprints

For the cats of HAU, the university is home. No one knows exactly when they first arrived, but their presence has become part of what makes HAU feel like more than just a school. They bring joy, comfort, and companionship — small bundles of warmth in a bustling academic space.

Because of this, the care they receive from students is often filled with affection and concern, creating a welcoming atmosphere for both humans and felines alike.

“They are harmless and even helpful in creating a calm, welcoming atmosphere here in the campus,” said Ayanna Manalo, a freshman from the School of Arts and Sciences.

Student-cat interactions have become routine, as students often go out of their way to care for the cats, doing what they can to fill in the gaps left by the university’s inaction.

“I care for all the HAU cats because they deserve a better home, but since we may not be able to adopt them, we should at least make sure they feel safe, cared for, and protected,” Jessica Gan, a college freshman from the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), also expressed.

“I more or less stop by every once in a while to pet to pass the time with them,” Third-year student from the School of Business and Accountancy (SBA), Andrew Galang, added.

The university’s neglect is evident in the small things, such as the absence of proper identification or even basic collars. In response, many Angelites have taken to giving the cats nicknames — a gesture that goes beyond identification, symbolizing their sense of belonging and recognition as part of the community.

“I’ve only ever seen cats twice or thrice around here, not much interaction. But I call them ‘ming ming’ or ‘kitty kitty’ to get their attention,” SBA freshman Elizeya Lacsamana noted.

On the other hand, Lianne Lopez, a college freshman who has been with HAU since high school, shared the specific names she has given to the cats she has grown attached to.

“I have a cat in GGN. I named her Kekeana, and also the Mr. Pogi cat in Yellow Canteen; also the lazy ginger cat in APS, there’s two of them that are both ginger, and I named them. The chubbier one is Chimini, and the smaller one is Eppy. Lastly, the cat near the CCTV or guards office, the mother cat, I named her Girly,” said Lianne in an online interview.

She also spoke of a bond formed over years, watching generations of cats grow within the university.

“I’ve grown a special bond with them, especially since I’ve been at HAU since I was in Grade 7. I’ve seen the generations of cats at HAU, Chimini and Eppy are like the batch three of the baby cats that have grown inside the campus.”

These stories show that the cats are not just shadows in the background — they have become an important part of the Angelite identity. And yet, the absence of a formal care system makes their position all the more vulnerable.

‘Purring’ Comforts Yet Left Astray

A 2020 study by Nagasawa, Ohta, and Uchimiya shows that interacting with cats activates brain regions linked to emotional regulation and social connection. For many Angelites, this rings true — the cats provide comfort, joy, and a break from academic stress.

A maintenance staff member, who goes by the nickname “FPJ,” described the interactions between students and cats as heartwarming.

“Nakakasaya, minsan may nakikita ako pinaglalaruan nila tapos pini-picture at pinapakain. Karamihan mga high school ang naglalaro ng mga pusa,” he said.

He also stated that, overall, the presence of the cats in HAU has reduced the number of snakes and rats lingering on the campus, making the university a safer place.

For many students, the cats have become more than animals on campus — they are also a rare moment of calm, an unexpected break from the relentless rhythm of university life. In quiet company, they provide needed relief. Because sometimes, all it takes is a cat sitting beside you, asking for nothing, just to be there.

“I think that the cats in the university bring some sort of comfort to students,” Andrew shared. “Personally speaking, I remember feeling down the other day but then a cat bumped its head against my leg and I’d start petting them.”

While not literal, Andrew’s words reflect how animals can alleviate emotional distress. Essentially, they have become sources of morale boosts, offering quiet salvation for anyone seeking comfort in times of burnout.

“Cats can sometimes save a person’s life or just make it better,” he concluded.

For Jessica, “Cats bring a little light to students who feel alone, sad, or not in the mood. From my perspective, they make the school feel more colorful and joyful, especially for the younger students. Their quiet presence and playful behavior can be comforting, even during stressful days.”

Seeing their perspectives, Angelites enjoy the comforting serotonin boosts the cats bring — able to lift anything weighing on their shoulders, from just a single meow to even serving as shields from snakes and rats.

In Ayanna’s words, “It’s like a small reminder that peace and happiness can be found in little things.”

However, beneath the significant role that the cats bring to the community, there still lie stories of ignoring their place in the university — painting them as strays that need to be removed from campus.

Even though Angelites lounge in the comfort brought by the cats, peace and security still remain far-flung realities for the cats themselves.

Behind the vibrant campus life hides a harsh truth: the basic needs of the cats of HAU remain unfulfilled. When was the last time a cat food bowl was seen around? When were they last taken for veterinary care? Are they safe?

The reality is, even if they are attended to by students or university personnel, there remains a gap between limited personal care and systemic, university-wide care for the cats.

An Angelite can care for a single cat, but not all; a university can build policies and structural changes not only for one, but for all.

And in neglect comes the compromise of Angelite safety. With concerns about rabies and other cat-related diseases, the campus community remains cautious of the cats as they continue to live without proper veterinary care.

FPJ also recounted how, at one time, a cat bit a student, which led to the mass trapping of cats within the university — causing them to be relocated to the Angeles City Local Government Unit for injections. However, it remains unclear what those injections were, and the university has yet to confirm the type used.

According to an anonymous campus staff member, the impounding measures were conducted under the HAU Campus Services and Development Office (CSDO). The cats were returned to campus shortly after, for unclear reasons.

They also recalled how male cats were castrated and unknown injections were administered by visiting veterinarians.

The sudden impounding presents the ambiguity of HAU’s animal policies. Why wait for someone to get hurt before providing proper care?

FPJ also noted that the number of cats is lower now than before the impounding — from over 20 to far fewer today.

In a display of ethical paradoxes, the university’s core value of compassion remains unfulfilled as the cats of HAU continue to be neglected.

Even if students can take care of cats, the call for structural care remains unanswered. 

Change from Inspiration: What Other Universities are Doing

A person is easily compelled to meow at a cat to get its attention; in the same way, a cat’s meow is often enough to capture ours. While other universities have embraced their cats as part of the community, HAU has yet to do the same.

At the University of the Philippines (UP), the cats are not regarded as mere strays, but as community cats.

UP Journalism professor Khrysta Rara emphasized how calling them “strays” is a misnomer, “We call them ‘stray’ cats but they’re not actually stray cats because they live on campus. Many are residents of each college, fed and cared for by students, staff and faculty. That’s why we call them community cats. They’re part of the community.”

Despite common hygiene and disease concerns surrounding the presence of animals on campus, UP officials maintained that the cats should stay. According to Dr. Rey Oronan of the UP College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, these animals are considered resident animals.

UP also faced dilemmas regarding the possible euthanization of these cats. But Dr. Oronan underscored, “nature does not like vacuums. If you want total extermination, you would have to kill all the animals and you cannot do that. Not just from a humane point of view. It’s also impossible.”

With this, institution-led initiatives at UP has helped establish the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) policy in the university, a more humane, internationally accepted way of giving veterinary aid to UP cats without putting them down. 

Additionally, Friends of Campus Animals (FOCA UP) launched Utak at Pusa, a student-led initiative that organizes rummage sales to fund the TNVR program and meet the medical needs of UP’s community cats.

Other universities such as Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and De La Salle University (DLSU) have also taken proactive steps. They partnered with animal welfare organizations like the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and Pawssion Project.

ADMU, together with PAWS, initiated the PAWS Ateneo program to promote responsible pet interaction, spay-neuter campaigns, and basic veterinary care such as vaccinations.

Meanwhile, DLSU’s partnership with Pawssion Project supports not only student-led feeding initiatives, but also programs for adoption and rehoming of cats.

These efforts, ranging from student movements to institutional collaborations — highlight the various ways schools can safeguard animals on campus.

And yet, at HAU, such measures are neither encouraged nor institutionalized.

The absence of formal policies has led some Angelites to personally care for the cats, though no official student-led initiatives or organizations currently support this compassion. Instead, university policies prohibit feeding, petting, mingling with, or adopting the cats.

On July 11, 2023, the CSDO stated that cat feeding contributed to the increasing population of felines on campus, prompting the administration to discourage any interaction between students and cats.

But despite these prohibitions, no university-led alternatives or partnerships with animal welfare groups have been implemented. Even basic necessities like food or water stations are absent, leaving the cats dependent solely on the kindness of students and staff for survival.

As seen in UP, ADMU, and DLSU, campus cats thrive when given care through collaborative efforts. Their cases demonstrate that structured initiatives can protect both animals and people without compromising safety or hygiene.

These missed opportunities reflect a gap in HAU’s commitment to care—not just to the cats, but to its community. Building bonds between Angelites and the cats is currently hindered by safety concerns and the lack of institutional support.

This raises the question: Is HAU truly prepared to take a more ethical approach to campus life—especially when, in the eyes of many Angelites, these cats are already part of the community?

This is Not Just about Cats: Exposing Conditional Empathy

A meow from a hungry stray is easy to ignore. A meow from a cat generated by artificial intelligence is entertaining. But if it were a person, would it still be so easy to ignore?

The cats of HAU live in a paradox: they are both beloved and neglected. Despite communities often calling for care and inclusivity, that care is rarely distributed equally when it matters most.

A neglected cat is, in many ways, a reflection of a marginalized person. Both exist in a society that preaches change but practices inaction. Both survive on limited student care and scarce institutional support, while long-term structural change remains invisible — a grim irony of our reality: the most vulnerable are often left even more vulnerable.

This begs the question: If the cats of HAU are left in such a state, what about its students, employees, and broader community?

The issue at hand is not just animal welfare, it reveals a deeper problem: conditional empathy. Only those who fit within established institutional priorities receive the care they deserve, so long as the university’s image remains untarnished.

In this light, the neglect of a single part reflects the neglect of the whole. In preserving appearances, the Angelite community itself is often left as astray as the cats, with systemic adjustments made only for the “important,” rather than for what makes up the heart of a university: its people.

This presents a harsh truth — that sharing the same space within a university does not guarantee equal treatment. From years of enduring substandard comfort rooms with no bidets, broken locks, or unusable toilets, to delayed installations of air conditioning units, Angelites have long been denied even the most basic needs. The neglect of the cats mirrors this wider institutional disregard.

With conditional empathy, the value of compassion is thrown into question. If campus improvements only appear when a select few speak out — while the silent majority endures discomfort — then the neglect of cats becomes a cautionary tale: What ensures that Angelites won’t be next?

This calls for something basic — empathy. The ability to recognize the needs of others, no matter how small or voiceless.

The Call to Care and Reigniting Compassion 

Only one way is clear, and that is forward.

To address the current conditions of the cats in HAU, the university may consider reviewing the proposals raised by the Angelite community for a more structured animal care system. This could involve adopting practices from other universities and exploring partnerships with local cat welfare organizations that can be integrated into the existing campus policies.

As other institutions have established animal welfare initiatives, HAU may also look into the possibility of forming a campus-based cat welfare organization. Such a group could facilitate donation drives, monitor the condition of the cats, and submit periodic reports to ensure transparency and continuity in care.

Simple measures such as providing food bowls and supporting student-led welfare programs could also goa  long way. These initiatives could assist in meeting the daily needs of the cats, should the university decide to allow such activities on campus.

Given that the presence of cats on campus has been noted to have a positive impact on some members of the university community, HAU could explore formalizing animal welfare practices. This may include designating feeding areas, conducting regular cleanups, and ensuring safety measures are in place for both the animals and students.

When this becomes established, the university could then partner with veterinary clinics and local animal welfare organizations to improve the quality of life for the cats in HAU as well as safeguard their health through consistent veterinary check-ups, voluntary welfare programs, vaccinations, and spaying or neutering programs.

As compassion is identified as one of the core values of Holy Angel University, the presence of cats on campus may be considered part of the broader campus environment that requires appropriate care. Recognizing them as community cats, rather than strays, could serve as a step toward integrating animal welfare into existing institutional frameworks.

This approach may help foster a more inclusive and responsive system that acknowledges all living beings sharing the space. Establishing clear policies and support structures for their welfare may reflect a more inclusive and responsive approach to campus life — one that ensures no cat is left behind.