A young college student heard the faint cries of a newborn kitten at the side of a canal on Bustillos Street in Sampaloc, Manila. She took the kitten home, named her “Mingming” and raised her.

Sarrie Anne Capacia couldn’t afford veterinary services at the time. Instead, she fed Mingming everyday with powdered cat milk through a feeding bottle to ease the kitten’s constant cries.

Years later, on Jhocson St. in Sampaloc, Manila, she heard sounds of crying kittens again. This time, she found an orange cat, a white cat with black and orange dots on its head, and a black and white tabby cat. She approached the three cats, who were at first afraid, but soon cuddled up to her when they became comfortable.

That night she took the three cats home, named them “Orange.” “Puti,” and “Negra” and adopted them without hesitation. From a spark, a flame was lit. The two experiences ignited a passion within her that pushed her to devote her time, money, and heart into adopting and helping stray cats through the “Donate Meow” drive.

The “Donate Meow” drive is a feeding program for stray cats that was created in July 2021 by Capacia, a 27-year old cat lover and animal advocate residing in Sampaloc, Manila.

She and her boyfriend, Chyron Jubert San Juan, feed stray cats in seven to eight barangays in Sampaloc, particularly along the streets of Geronimo, Cayco, Jhocson, G. Tuazon, Castaños, Sta. Teresita, and Bustillos.

They feed the cats everyday, rain or shine, commencing at 5:30 p.m. after work hours, and using 5 to 6 kilos of cat food per day. They take one to two hours to finish the feeding program due to the location of the barangays.

Capacia has been feeding stray cats since she was in college.

She has been self-financing the feeding program for six years, from using her allowances as a student to portions of her salary when she started working. In the small business she established during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), selling homemade mango drinks and cupcakes, 20 percent of her earnings were spent on cat food.

She also received donations from her friends and members of a cat lovers’ group on Facebook. However, due to the economic strains caused by the on-going pandemic, donations have dwindled.

It was heaven sent when she received a message from a couple in Australia who wanted to sponsor the program in August 2021. The couple saw the “Donate Meow” drive in one of the animal lovers’ groups on Facebook.

The couple sends P2,100 weekly through Paypal, which is enough to buy a 22-kilo sack of cat food. Because Capacia feeds more than 180 cats, the sack can last for a week. She also keeps the couple up to date on their transactions and sends them all their receipts and pictures.

“Marami din nagtatanong sa akin kung bakit ko po ginagawa ‘yon, kung bakit daw pinagaaksayahan ko ng pera. Wala naman daw akong napapala doon. Kung sa pera lang talaga, wala talagang bumabalik sa akin, puro palabas lang. Pero ‘yung happiness na binibigay sa akin iba. Masaya ako pag alam ko na kumain sila kahit isang beses lang sa buong araw. Kapag hindi kami nakakapag-feeding sa isang araw, hindi kumpleto ‘yung araw ko (Many people ask me why I do it, why I waste money on feeding stray cats. They say I will get nothing from it. In terms of money, it’s true that I do spend more than I receive, but it gives me so much happiness. I’m happy knowing the cats get to eat at least once the whole day. When we don’t feed the cats, my day is incomplete),” Capacia said.

She said they are lucky that they are able to continue the feeding program despite the city lockdowns and restrictions during the pandemic. They follow the health and safety protocols during their activities, and travel by motorcycle to make the journey to each barangay faster.

Living with a ‘cat sense’

In her hometown of Nasugbu, Batangas, Capacia lived with their family cat “Miming” and two dogs since she was a child. Her fondness for animals stayed with her through adulthood.

After adopting “Mingming” and the three cats from Jhocson St., she adopted three cats from Geronimo St., who were part of the first batch of cats she started to feed in the area. She named them "Veronica,” "Betty,” and "Sherly"after the characters from the American television show “Riverdale.”

To date, she has 12 cats, and a dog named “Toffy.” Capacia said she feels the mutual love between her and her pets grow stronger during challenging times.

She recalled the frustrations she experienced when she was writing her individual thesis, which extended her stay in college. All her revisions had been rejected, and she was close to losing hope.

“Syempre magisa lang ako dito sa apartment. Umaga na gumagawa pa din ako, pero yung mga fur babies ko hindi umaalis sa tabi ko. Kahit hindi sila nagsasalita, ramdam na ramdam ko yung suporta nila. Ang laki ng naitulong ng furbabies ko sa mental health ko. (I’m alone in my apartment. I was still writing until early morning but my fur babies never left my side. Even if they can’t speak, I deeply felt their support for me. My fur babies helped improve my mental health),” Capacia said.

Her experience with cats and being a cat owner have helped in the conduct of her feeding program. She has learned to memorize common behaviors exhibited by stray cats, and the right ways to approach different cats. She also developed a strong “cat sense” that can tell the temperament of cats, whether they are aggressive or simply scared.

A stray cat’s call for help

Stray cats continue to multiply in Sampaloc all these years. Often they look thin, dirty, and weak. Some have bruises and injuries from people who may have hurt them, or the harsh environment.

Stray animals are usually brought to the city pound especially when they are reported by the residents of the area, as they are often seen as carriers of disease and contribute to street waste.

However, Capacia noted that her visits to the city animal pound were disheartening as she saw animals crowded in their cages, some looking unhealthy, and unloved.

“Naiintindihan ko po kung bakit nila ginagawa ‘yun, for safety din ng tao dahil minsan nagcause din ng aksidente pag may biglang tatawid, may rabies. Pero sana po ang una nilang gawin pigilan kung paano matitigil ang pagdami ng mga stray animals (I understand why they have to capture the strays. The strays sometimes cause accidents when they cross the road, and some may have rabies. But I wish population control of stray animals would be a priority),” Capacia said.

She advocates for more free spay and neuter programs for stray cats and dogs in Manila and in the whole country. She notes that these services exist, but they cater mostly to pets with owners.

“Kung walang magdadala sa kanila hindi din sila makakapon (If no one brings them to the centers, they wouldn’t be spayed or neutered),” Capacia added.

Aside from nationwide free spay and neuter programs, Capacia also calls for the stricter implementation of the country’s laws against animal cruelty, specifically the amended “Animal Welfare Act” or Republic Act (RA) 10631. She lamented that in other places, people reprimand those who feed stray cats, with some even attempting to poison the food.

“Wala na sanang hayop na makaranas ng pagmamaltrato. Wag na po natin saktan ang mga hayop lalo na ang mga pusa. Sabi nga nila “If you can’t feed them, don’t hurt them (I hope in the future no animal will be maltreated. Let’s not hurt animals, especially cats. Like what they say “If you can’t feed them, don’t hurt them”),” Capacia said.

Not all is hopeless. In the areas where she feeds the cats, she sees glimmers of kindness in the actions of others. She knows of three households that she has seen feed stray cats near their areas, leaving bowls of food and water on the sides of the street.

Capacia said one of her goals is to build her own animal shelter.

“Para wala ng aso or pusang nasa kalye, walang kasiguraduhan kung anong oras kakain, kung ligtas ba sa daan, o ligtas ba sa mga taong nakapaligid sa kanila...Sana lahat maimpluwensyahan ko, natin. Sana lahat mahalin din sila (So there will be no stray cats or dogs on the streets, with no assurance of food or safety on the roads or from people around them. I wish we can influence everyone to help them. I wish everyone will show them love),” Capacia said.

You can reach and contact Sarrie Capacia, under the username "Eb Eb", or Chyron Jubert on Facebook.

For cat food donations, you can reach them through the following mobile numbers: 09459940388, 09953311850.

Cash donations may be sent to Gcash at 09459940388 under the name Sarrie Anne Capacia.