Houtong Cat Village Introduction
Houtong once flourished in coal mining but gradually fell silent with the decline of the 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 its Cat Town Hall to strengthen the care capabilities for the village cats, providing various services such as creating "identity cards" for feral cats, conducting census for "cat households," and setting up medical stations to meet the needs of Houtong's street cats. By the end of April 2024, the Houtong Cat Town Hall will officially be inaugurated. The all-encompassing information center for cats will register cats living in Houtong, issue identity cards, implant microchips, and regularly conduct cat household censuses. It will also collaborate with non-profit organizations to establish medical stations offering health care services for cats, and work with various volunteer associations to form patrol teams to enhance the village's patrols, ensuring the safety of the cats and preventing abandonment. A large electronic information board on the exterior of the Cat Town Hall displays popular activity locations for Houtong's cats, village affairs, and connects to the adoption information of eight animal shelters in New Taipei City. The Cat Town Hall is renovated from the old Taiwan Railway dormitory and features a color scheme of "Ruifang Gold," echoing local mining elements, with a cute cat peeking out from the roof, grassy outdoor areas designed with cat footprints, and indoor arrangements of cat play facilities, showcasing a new aesthetic of cat village life. The Animal Protection and Epidemic Prevention Office of the New Taipei City Government has also planted a large area of catnip, beloved by cats, next to the Cat Town Hall to create a diverse and integrated ecosystem for both animals and plants.
