“Houton”, A Cat Paradise Where More Than 280 Cats Live
The station “Houghton” is about 40 minutes by train from Taipei, the capital of Taiwan . The moment you arrive at this station, you’ll soon see why many people get off at this station.
The overpass extending from the station looks like a cat, and the whole is a catwalk. There are cat litter boxes and cat house beds everywhere. Everywhere you look in the village, there are some cat illustrations and cat motifs.
And after all, more than 280 cats, the inhabitants of Mofumofu, who are too cute, live freely with nobinobi.
Yes, Houghton is a cat village in Taiwan where cats live. Cat lovers from all over the world are gathering to meet the cats here.
From Ghost Towns to World-Class Tourist Destinations
In the early 1900s, this cat village was famous as Taiwan’s premier coal mine town, where Taiwan’s best technology flourished. It was lively with about 6,000 inhabitants and workers.
After the mine closed in 1990, young people left the village one after another, and the population decreased to about 100. It’s a ghost town, partly abandoned.
However, in 2010, when SNS became popular, it began to be rumored among cat lovers that “there are a lot of amazing cats here .
Pictures of cats living in Houghton were released into the sea of the Internet and attracted the attention of cat lovers all over the world. The formula of “Houton Nekomura” has been completed.
Houghton, who did not miss this chance, firmly grasped the flow and started PR of the village with the popularity of cats.
In 2012, the Cat Lantern Festival was held. In 2013CNN It was selected as one of the ” Top 5 Cat Tourist Destinations in the World for Cat Lovers” and is now a mecca for cat lovers, visited by more than 1 million tourists a year from all over the world.
The cat brought the village back to life.
Let’s Love Cats in Taiwan’s Cat Village
About 280 cats roam the village freely. Some cats have collars or nicknames, so it’s hard to tell the difference between stray cats and domestic cats, but the cats here are loved by all the villagers.
Maybe because of the high humidity, it’s not very active, and there are days when cats are sick.
Most cats, however, are accustomed to tourists who visit every day, so if you pass by, make a yellow voice saying “Cute!”, Take a picture, or make a nadenade.
Most cafes are cat cafes. Cats can take your seat the moment you leave your seat.
With the Shadow of Popularity, Such a Dark Influence
However, according to locals, some tourists visit the village to leave and squeeze cats. Currently, there are more than 280 cats living, 50 of which are newcomers to the village in the last two years.
In addition, although vaccinations and regular treatments are given by local residents and volunteers, I am worried about my health because I receive a lot of dads from tourists every day.
A cat village in Taiwan that was brought back to life by a cat. The number of humans and cats has increased, but I hope that both will continue to be a village where they can live happily.
