MetroPets - Online pet magazine
  • HOME
  • NEWS & FEATURES
  • PET FOOD
  • PET CARE
  • PRODUCT REVIEWS
  • PET PERSON
  • ANIMAL WELFARE
  • PAWPULAR PETS
  • BEST OF BREED
  • PET GUIDE
  • ABOUT US
  • EDITOR'S NOTES
  • HOME
  • NEWS & FEATURES
  • PET FOOD
  • PET CARE
  • PRODUCT REVIEWS
  • PET PERSON
  • ANIMAL WELFARE
  • PAWPULAR PETS
  • BEST OF BREED
  • PET GUIDE
  • ABOUT US
  • EDITOR'S NOTES
NEWS & FEATURES


Have you heard the woofest mews?





​

One stormy afternoon at Taiwan's Houtong Cat Village

7/15/2018

0 Comments

 
By ALMA J. BUELVA
​
NO self-respecting cat lover should pass a chance to visit a cat village even when a typhoon is about to hit it. Taiwan has one up north in Houtong reputed to have at least 200 free-roaming cats. The day I came for a visit, typhoon Maria had the same plan.
Picture
A giant cat statue greets visitors right outside the Houtong Train Station platform.
​It was a gloomy afternoon when I reached Houtong by train along with other tourists, just as typhoon Maria started to hit the northern parts of Taiwan. But though the skies looked dark and pregnant with rain, Maria thankfully didn't rain on my parade until I finished a quick tour of the cat village.
Picture
WELCOME PURRTY. Spotted near the entrance of the cat village, these two were not so welcoming, unless you have treats.
​Maybe it was the impending rain and blustering winds that caused most of Houtong's cats to hide away that afternoon. It was unfortunate that only a handful of them were around to amuse travel-weary guests. 
Picture
CAT LADIES "share" the few cats that stayed around the village despite the ugly weather.
​The Houtong train station wastes no time and space in shepherding tourists to the tiny cat village. A stairway immediately connects the station to a bridge – almost like a short tunnel adorned with cat items that opens to the cat village. There we were greeted by our first two Houtong cat residents, a black-and-white kitty and a grey tabby that walked a short distance with us.
Picture
The bridge to the cat village feels like a hallway in an old elementary school. There are cat litter boxes to keep the area clean.
​​Despite the poor attendance of actual cats that day, the place will still excite cat lovers given the number of cat objects around the village. From street signs and memo boards to flower pots and stepping stones, just about anything that can follow the cat theme has been done so.
Picture
Up a roof is a giant cat and down the road are paw marks.
Picture
It's common to find window sills in Houtong with cat decors like this one.
Picture
A street sign lets people know who own the place!
Picture
Houses within the village have their own cat-inspired street art.
​The Houtong Cat Village is a very tiny community, which is all that is left from what used to be a busy mining town. From the bridge, guests can walk up the Cat Corridor where cat-inspired shops and cafes are located. Here we found a few more feline wanderers who, like us, were peering into the glass doors and windows of shops that closed early due to typhoon Maria. ​
Picture
The Houtong Cat Village is a very small one. But if ever you find yourself lost, here's a map to guide you.
Picture
A cat waits outside the door of a shop in Houtong Cat Village.
It must be delightful to shop and dine right at the Cat Corridor, if only the weather was less unforgiving the day we came.
Picture
Dark mountains that loom over the cat village are reflected in the glass window of one of the cat cafes.
Picture
A sad looking cat looks outside the corridor as guests start to leave to catch the last train.
​Below the Cat Corridor is a narrow lane where people actually live, which means more cats to see. Although people there are used to tourists walking up and down their streets, it still felt like we were trespassing so I veered away from the area. 
Picture
Anybody home? Cats we saw, but actual villagers stayed indoors during our visit.
Picture
Here is the not so touristy side of the Houtong Cat Village where actual families live alongside the cats.
At the ground floor of the train station is another street with gift shops. Here I found a bakeshop selling pineapple cakes in cat forms. Pineapple-filled cakes are one of Taiwan's popular souvenirs. I wasn't convinced that I want some until I found them in the shape of cats!
Picture
How do you eat a pineapple cake this cute?
Picture
Another shop selling everything cat.
Picture
A woman prepares to close her shop early because of the coming typhoon.
​Most of the cats, if not all, in Houtong Cat Village are strays but residents and volunteers attend to their basic needs. I've spotted cats with one of their ears clipped which means they have been spayed or neutered already, and I've also accidentally walked in on pairs while they are mating. 

As in any big cat colonies, the Houtong Cat Village has cats that look sickly or with skin ulcers. As for behavior, the prevailing cat attitude the day I visited was indifference. Sure, there were sweet cats who followed tourists with cat food to give, but many were aloof and stubbornly refused eye contact. In fact, meowing at them or saying “Here, kitty, kitty...” would get you nowhere. But we can't blame the cats for not being accommodating. You would be a sour-puss, too, if you had to put up daily with cellphone-toting tourists who take your photos all the time. To get the cats' attention, one must be creative so I barked. 
Picture
GOTCHA! It's "Aw, aw" not "Meow, meow" that gets their attention.
​Seeing that the cats were not in the mood to play good hosts that day, we went back to the station to wait for our train to Taipei. It was then that typhoon Maria brought cat visibility down to zero, for the time being.
Picture
HOUTONG CAT VILLAGE. Where are the cats?
Overall, Taiwan's Houtong Cat Village is quaint and charming but is starting to look tired and lonely, too. But I'm sure you can overlook what qualifies as eyesores here and there if you are truly fond of cats. After all, with allegedly over 200 cats, Houtong is like no other purridise.
** Text and photos are all original properties of MetroPets Magazine and protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly not allowed.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Articles

    * Tiktok, the new home of pet influencers 
    * Pet rock, anyone?
    * New Amazon boxes especially made for cats
    * Report sees pets as cure against loneliness crisis
    *When animals rock, literally
    * PH gets new veterinarians in latest licensure test
    ​* Laika and Felicette, pioneer pet astronauts
    * Puppy Styled: Dogs' before and after grooming shots
    * LTFRB says pets can now ride public transport
    ​* Dog "surrenders" during drug bust operation
    ​* Japanese company designs world's first dog toilet
    * "Dog Mode" keeps pet cool inside Tesla cars
    * Claws out! Cat lovers fight over this Starbucks mug
    * Mookkie, the smart pet feeder with AI technology
    ​* Ford-designed "quiet" kennel protects dogs from fireworks, thunder sound
    * One stormy afternoon at Taiwan's Houtong Cat Village
    * MetroPets' top 10 picks from the Taipei Pets Show
    * PH makes first conviction of a dog killer
    ​* Japan to stop pesticide tests on beagles
    ​* PhD student develops squash-based cat food
    * CARA leads search of missing BGC cats, online signature campaign starts
    * Cats of BGC seized, cat lovers cry foul
    * Spotify matches people and dogs with same taste for music 
    * Gov't develops app on rabies awareness
    * Global target of zero rabies cases by 2030 set
    ​* Can a cat be both a solid and a liquid?
    * Miniature Influencers: Instagram's most popular dogs
    * Tabby Town Cat Cafe opens in Silang, Cavite
    * Program eyes ex-druggies as dog trainers
    ​* Pets among vulnerable victims of Marawi conflict
    * Dog meat banned from 2017 Yulin Festival
    * Sassy's Easter story
    ​* Over 90 Laguna pit bulls still waiting to be adopted
    ​* "Cat lady" is now officially a word
    ​* Survey: Most Filipino pet owners trust their veterinarians
    ​* Addictive mobile game Neko Atsume now a movie
    * When a dead dog tells tales
    ​* Dogs join rally to demand total ban on firecrackers
    * PETA: Don't give pets as Christmas gifts
    * Dogs rule at Playbow day care and boarding center
    * Metropets debuts special print issue
    * St. Roche calls for more volunteers to build home for abused pets
    * Man and dog eye Guinness World Record for 200km run
    * What's with cats and the Buddha?
    ​* Sign the petition to help end the Yulin Festival
    * PETA offers 50,000 reward to find Dasmariñas cat killers
    * Dog abuser from Cotabato in hiding
    ​* Nat'l plan of action vs dog meat trade soon
    * PuspinsofMeownila highlights the good about local cats
    * Keep pets safe from New Year revelry
    ​* Belgians handle anti-terrorism lockdown with cats
    * Russia sends France new police dog
    * Rising cases of stolen pets alarming
    * New rabies-free zones named
    * Uchi No Neko - The Cat House Cafe is seventh heaven
    * Bengal Brew, world's first, heralds new cat cafe experience
    * Pet Expo by Pet Express a success!
    * The Cat House in Katipunan to open 
    * Plastic bags may be toxic to ornamental fish -- expert
    * Yulin dog meat festival slaughtered 2,000 dogs
    * Dogs know who treat their owners unkindly
    * Velvet Friends opens
    * Why do wet dogs smell so bad?
    * Dogs for keeps than spouses, in-laws
    * Belmonte promises repeal of 4-pet limit
    * Statement of QC Gov't - Ordinance 2386
    * Pet lovers demand proof of four-pet limit repeal
    * PAWS slams QC Ordinance 2386
    * Researchers bare illegal sale of exotic Philippine lizards
    * Mongrels find dedicated owners in Singaporeans
    * Gov't waives lab fee for rabies-free PH
    * Online petition seeks end to Boracay's "cruel" dog pound
    * Cat lovers descend into Miao Cat Cafe
    * South Koreans in dog fight ring deported
    * New study: dogs can read human faces
    * New Hachiko statue
    * Pembroke Corgi 'extinction' feared
    * Planned cat cafe draws mixed reactions
    * Singapore Cat Cafe
    * The cats in Pope John Paul II's dream
    * Coming in 2015: Cat Cafes
    * A Manila Cat Cafe to open soon
    * Popes on dogs and heaven
    * Wagington Pet Hotel
    * Special Report: Cartimar Pet Center

    Archives

    March 2021
    January 2021
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    Abandoned Pets
    Adoptify
    Alaskan Malamute
    Amazon Cat Box
    Animal Abuse
    Animal Art
    Animal Bite Centers In Philippines
    Animal Cages
    Animal Cruelty
    Animal Kingdom Foundation
    Animal Rights
    Animals And Religion
    Animals In Conflict Areas
    Animal Stone Painting
    Animal Welfare
    Animal Welfare Act
    Animal Welfare Groups
    Anti Rabies
    Anti-rabies
    Aquarium
    Aquarium Fish
    Aspin
    Aspin Lovers
    Baron Endurance Dog Runner
    Belgian Malinois
    Bengal Brew
    Bengal Cats
    Boxcat
    Bureau Of Animal Industry
    Canine Psychology
    Canine Unit
    CARA Welfare Philippines
    Cardboard Box For Cats
    Cartimar
    Cartimar Petshops
    Cartimar Pet Shops
    Carton Meow
    Cat Adoption
    Cat And Coffee
    Cat Art
    Cat Bed
    Cat Boarding House
    Cat Boxes
    Cat Breeders
    Cat Cafe
    Cat Cafe In Tagaytay
    Cat Cafes
    Cat Cafes In Manila
    Cat Cafes In The Philippines
    Cat Condo
    Cat Container
    Cat Corridor
    Cat Fight
    Cat Food
    Cat Food Developer
    Cat-friendly Places
    Cat Games
    Cat Hotels
    Cat House
    Cat Ladies
    Cat Lady
    Cat Litter
    Cat Lovers
    Cat Memorabilia
    Cat Mug
    Cat Onigiri
    Cat Paradise
    Cats And Buddha
    Cats And Coffee
    Cats & Crumbs
    Cat Shelter
    Cat Shops
    Cats In Train Stations
    Cattery
    Cat Tourist Attractions
    Cat Treats
    Cheap Cat Food
    Chihuahua
    Christmas Cats
    Christmas Dogs
    Dog Automatic Toilet
    Dog Behavior
    Dog Behavior Expert
    Dog Boarding And Hotel
    Dog Cafe
    Dog Cheese Treat
    Dog Companion
    Dog Cruelty
    Dog Day Care And Boarding In Manila
    Dog Day Care In The Philippines
    Dog Eaters
    Dog Exercise
    Dog Exercises
    Dog Fight
    Dog Fighting Syndicate
    Dog Food
    Dog Games
    Dog Health
    Dog In Oro Movie
    Dog Killed In Movie
    Dog Killer
    Dog Lovers
    Dog Loyalty
    Dog Meat
    Dog Meat Ban Yulin
    Dog Meat Trade
    Dog Nanny Manila
    Dognappers
    Dog Obedience Training
    Dog Pound
    Dog Product Endorsers
    Dog Quarantine
    Dogs And Fireworks
    Dogs And Music
    Dog Shelter
    Dogs In Movies
    Dog Tests
    Dog Training
    Dog Training School
    Drug Sniffing Dog
    Eco-friendly Pet Products
    E-collar
    Eco Pet Dish
    Everclean Comb Massager
    Everclean Paw Cleaner
    Exotic Cats
    Exotic Pets
    Extinct Breed
    Feral Cats
    Filipino Dog Killer Convicted
    Firecrackers Bad For Dogs
    Fish For Sale
    Fish In Plastic Bag
    Fish Trade In Philippines
    Four-pet Limit
    Four-pet Limit In Quezon City
    Friendship Dogs
    Guinness World Record For Dogs
    Haven Of Love
    Houtong Cat Village
    Instagram Dogs
    Instagram Pets
    Internet Cats
    Jack Russell Terrier
    Japanese Spitz
    Japanese Spitz Club Philippines
    Jiffpom
    K-9
    K9 Cemetery
    K9 Cemetery Clark
    KittyTektura
    Lab Beagles
    Lab Tests On Dogs
    Laguna Pit Bulls
    Laguna Pit Bulls For Adoption
    Liquid Cats
    Makati Microchipping
    Manila Veterinarians
    Marawi Animals
    Marawi Pets
    MetroPets Magazine
    Microchip
    Missing Pets
    Mobile Pet Apps
    Mongrels
    Neko Atsume Characters
    Neko Atsume Movie
    No Kill Animal Shelter In The Philippines
    Oppo Dog Muzzle Quack
    Ordinance 2386
    Ornamental Fish
    PAWS
    PAWS Statement On Ordinance 2386
    PETA
    PETA Asia
    Pet Beds
    Pet Cages
    Pet Celebrities
    Pet Cemetery
    Pet Clothes
    Pet Crafts
    Pet Doctors
    Pet Emotional Machine
    Pet Express
    Pet Food
    Pet Hotel
    Petique
    Petkit
    Pet Registration
    Pet Rock
    Pets And Kids
    Pets And Terrorism
    Pets Are Not Gifts
    Pets For Adoption
    Petshops
    Pet Show
    Pets In Captivity
    Pets In Cars
    Pets In Cartimar
    Pets In Conflict Areas
    Pets In Danger Zone
    Pets In Marawi City
    Pet Social
    Pet Therapy
    Pet Toys
    Pet Transport
    Pet Wine
    Philippine Animal Lovers Society
    Philippine Animal Rescue Team
    Philippine Dog Groups
    Philippine Dog Lovers
    Philippine Dog Meat Trade
    Philippine Dog Trainers
    Philippine Lizards
    Philippine-made Cat Food
    Philippine National Action Plan Vs. Dog Meat Trade
    Philippine Pet Industry
    Philippine Pet Movers
    Philippine Wildlife
    Philippine Working Dogs
    Playbow
    Police Dogs
    PrayforMarawipets
    Puppy Mill
    Puppy-mills
    Purebred Cats
    Purina
    Pusang Pinoy
    Puspin
    Puspins
    #puspinsofmeownila
    Quezon City Dog Ordinance
    Quezon City Ordinance 2386
    RA 10631
    RA 8485
    Rabies
    Rabies Awareness
    Rabies Free Philippines
    Rabies-free Philippines
    Rabies Symptoms
    Rabies Vaccination
    Raw Diet For Cats
    Rescue Cats
    Roche
    Scratchpad
    Security Dogs
    Shelter Dogs
    Smart Pet Bowl
    Smart Pet Feeder
    Smelly Dog
    Social Media Celebrity Dogs
    Social Media Pets
    Soft-shell Turtle Catfood
    Squadgoals
    Squash Cat Food
    St
    Stolen Dogs
    Stolen Pets
    Stray Cats
    Stray Dogs
    Stray Pets
    Tabby Town Cat Cafe
    Taipei Pets Show
    Taiwan Cat Village
    Taiwan Pet Industry
    The Cat House
    The Cat House In Katipunan
    Therapy Dogs
    Therapy Pets
    Tokhang Dog
    Top Cat Movies
    Uchi No Neko
    Velvet Friends Cat Cafe
    Vet Clinics
    Veterinary Clinics In Metro Manila
    Veterinary Licensure Examination
    Vet Hospitals
    Wine For Pets
    Yak Cheese For Dog Treats
    Yulin Dog Meat Festival
    Yulin Festival Ban


Picture
METROPETS
All Rights Reserved



Advertise in METROPETS
Contact METROPETS