Cat-friendly
overpass to be unveiled in ‘Cat
Town
A 60m long overpass furnished with cat stands and cat
furniture is to be unveiled on March 30 in the Houtong (猴硐) area of New Taipei City’s (新北市) Ruifang
District (瑞芳), where the
presence of a large cat population has been a big tourist draw in recent years.
The town used to be one of the country’s
largest coalmining sites, but it is now focused on its other natural resource:
stray cats.
Over the years, the town has become home to
an estimated 100 cats.
As Houtong is currently being renovated,
city officials said it was a good opportunity to install cat-friendly
facilities.
“We must take
the cats’ needs into consideration because they have become an important part
of the town,” city official Chen Ching-fang said.
She added that she hoped the bridge will
reflect the harmonious coexistence of the town’s residents and the cats, as
well as promote animal protection.
The overpass cost NT$18 million
(US$602,600) and took eight months to build. It is expected to not only benefit
cats, but also attract cat-lovers, Chen said.
The cats will be able to walk, relax and
interact with pedestrians on the overpass.
Since 2009, Houtong has been nicknamed “Cat Town
The town attracts many tourists, especially
on weekends, Chen said.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2013/03/24/2003557870
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Two years age, I have been to Houtong. In
my memory, there was a beautiful small town with many cute cats. Now, it is full
of tourists to see and play the stray cats. Because of more and more tourists,
the government also began planning and construction. This overpass is one of
the construction. On the other hand, the volunteers feed the cats in regular
time. They also take the cats to see the doctor. I think the government should
notice the problems of tourists numbers. That will be better to the cats and
people in Houtong.
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