Cinema ’76 Cafe is known for its good food and cozy atmosphere, a haven for cinephiles and moviegoers alike! But did you know it’s now home to adorable rescued cats, Heneral Luya and Heneral Toyo? We even got to hear their heartwarming adoption stories!
Named after the epic war films “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral,” the six-month-old felines were adopted by Daphne Chiu, TBA Studios President and COO and one of the producers of the said films.
Heneral Luya and Heneral Toyo at Cinema ’76 Cafe.
Luya, a female ginger cat, was found crying non-stop for two days at the railings of the staircase.
“When I arrived at the office one day, I heard a crying kitten. I tried to look for her, and Luya was found hiding at the railings of the staircase. She was crying non-stop from day until night, and that was the time I asked our security guard to get her, hoping to feed her and give her water,” Daphne shared.
Despite not having experience taking care of pets, Daphne and her fiancé decided to open their home for Luya in February.
“After a couple of days, we noticed that she was still meowing but with paos sound and already had watery eyes, and she kept shaking non-stop. On February 14, that’s when we decided that we’ll take her home, foster her, and schedule a vet visit–a happy Valentine!”
Luya with her Meowmy. | Luya at six months old.
Just three days after Luya found her furever home, Toyo, a male tabby cat, showed up in the cafe.
“This dark-furred cat started roaming around the whole building and kept visiting our cafe. He was very sociable and played with the staff and the customers with high energy and cuteness,” she said.
Since Daphne took Luya home, she assumed the staff at the cafe was missing her, urging them to adopt Toyo.
“We think our staff has been missing Luya since we took her home, so they decided to keep Toyo at the cafe instead. When we took him to the vet, he was also given antibiotics, vitamins, and deworming because he also had watery eyes and a runny nose,” she added.
Toyo’s first few days arriving at the cafe. | Toyo at six months old.
Although Luya stays home with her new fur parents, she still accompanies them to the office, while Toyo stays at the cafe. They’re very close and love to play together and cuddle, though!
Their witty names drew inspiration not only from “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral,“ but also from their fur colors! Since Luya is a ginger cat, her name comes from the Tagalog word for ginger. Meanwhile, Toyo’s name reflects his dark fur, which resembles the color of soy sauce, or toyo, in Tagalog. Purrfect name choices, right?
Heneral Luya and Heneral Toyo at Cinema ’76 Cafe.
Here’s a fun fact: both Luya and Toyo already met several celebrities, including Heneral Goyo himself, Paulo Avelino, and Rita Avila. Such lucky kitties!
Heneral Toyo meets Heneral Goyo!
Wondering if you’ll see Luya and Toyo on your next visit to Cinema ’76 Cafe? Consider dropping by on days with fewer customers. They usually allow them to roam around when there are only a few guests, provided they’re comfortable with cats.
Make sure to give them lots of gentle head scratches and chin rubs when you spot them!
Luya and Toyo with Cinema ’76 Cafe staff.
Cinema ’76 Cafe
2/F Terraces Building, T. Morato Ave. cor. Sct. Borromeo St., Quezon City
