Houtong Cat Village Introduction
Houtong used to be a prosperous coal mining area, which gradually fell silent with the decline of the mining industry. Today, it has transformed into a cat village and developed tourism, becoming an internationally renowned cat-watching destination. In April 2021, Houtong established a preparatory office for the Cat Office to strengthen care for the cats in the village, providing services such as creating identification cards for street cats, conducting a census of "cat households," and setting up medical stations to meet various needs for the street cats of Houtong. By the end of April 2024, the Houtong Cat Office will be officially inaugurated. The comprehensive cat information station, the Cat Office, will handle the registration of cats living in Houtong, create identification cards, implant microchips, and regularly conduct census surveys of cat households. It will also collaborate with non-profit organizations to set up medical stations to provide health care services for the cats, along with various volunteer associations to establish patrol teams to enhance the village's welfare, ensuring the safety of the cats and preventing abandonment. The exterior wall of the Cat Office features a large electronic information board displaying popular activity locations for the cats of Houtong, along with updates from the cat village, and connects to adoption information from eight animal homes in New Taipei City. Designed with a primary color of "Ruifang Gold" to reflect local mining elements, the Houtong Cat Office has been renovated from an old Taipei Railway dormitory, showcasing local mining cultural history. The roof features cute cats peeking out, outdoor grass patterned with cat paw prints, and indoor arrangements with cat play equipment, presenting a new aesthetic of life in the cat village. The Animal Protection and Epidemic Prevention Office of the New Taipei City Government has also planted a large area of catnip beside the Cat Office to create a diverse and integrated ecosystem for both animals and plants.
