In the middle of a shift meeting for security guards at an office complex in Manila, a cat wearing a yellow and black uniform ambled past the employees waiting in line.

Conan, a 6-month-old stray cat, is a new member of the security team at the Worldwide Corporate Center building in Manila, joining a few months ago.

The Philippine capital has thousands of stray cats living on the streets. Conan is one of the lucky cats unofficially adopted by many protection teams across the city.

Compared to dogs, cats do not have guarding skills and often sleep during “shifts”, but the cuteness of these animals has endeared them to security guards.

Conan was rescued when he was just a few weeks old in a building parking lot and immediately “took the job” after Mingming, the previous guard cat, died of illness. “If Conan wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have the motivation to work. The cat relieves my stress,” said Aljon Aquino, a 30-year-old security guard.

The Worldwide Corporate Center building, Manila, has dozens of stray cats like Conan. This special guard team is free to “go on patrol”. Building staff will contribute money to buy food for them.

Enough food and accommodation, but Conan doesn’t care much about the mission. The cat likes to sleep, bask in the sun in front of a nearby cafe, or play with balls on the floor, delighting passersby.

“Sometimes people pick up Conan because he’s so friendly,” Aquino said. “The cat is satisfied with the job.”