Enroute to Shifen, we requested a stopover at Houtong 侯硐. Kevin diligently obliged as he too, wanted to see what is in 侯硐, since he has never been there before.
侯硐 was still a coal mining town back in the 1990s, but the industry went into a decline thereafter.
Today, 侯硐 is well-known for its free roaming cats. Being a cat lover, l have to pay the town a visit.
The easiest way to get here is by Taxi. You could of course, take a train to 侯硐 via Ruifang.
An arty painted train arrived at the station, bringing it hordes of cat lovers like myself.
With the free roaming cats, the town has to be 'catified' to ensure their safety is taken care of.
The booming cat tourism brought opportunities for the locals to set up cat related businesses.
You can buy post cards, T-shirts, pineapple tarts, and almost anything that is cat related.
Cute girl trying her hand to print out a cat coin.
This shop displays LPs of popular Taiwanese legends.
To get closer to the cats, you can buy cat food to feed them, or play with them with a cat toy.
Cat prints guiding us the direction to the cat village behind the train station.
David and Goliath.
Tabby has a large playground to roam about.
Roof with a view.
An attention seeking cat.
You can run, but you cannot hide. There is no escape from the searching eyes.
Ginger cautiously waiting for an opportunity to escape from the haunting tourist.
The cats are usually well-fed. But if the tourists kept giving them kibbles, I am sure the kitty would get sick of eating it.
Spotted this chap doing his business on the grass patch.
Cat paw prints are added on the pathway to beautify the village.
I don't care. Shoot all you want, I am getting my nap now.
A sulky white Persian warning me not to encroach her space.
Sticking her tongue out to show her displeasure. Bleah....!
Most of the cats are friendly. Some would come up to you for a stroke while others are oblivious to human interaction.
This pair is caged because the owner does not want them to stray away. Generally, domesticated pets are better taken care off than the strays.
No more kibbles please. I am not interested at all!
Besides cats, there are dogs who live harmoniously with their feline friends.
The locals are tolerant of the animals, and they welcome the income that the tourists brought to them.
Home style cafe provides tourists a resting point from the incessant hunt for cats.
Mommy prepares the food while I serve desserts.
View from the cat village, overlooking 侯硐 station and its surrounding. 
Diorama mode of the same station.
From my conversation with a local, there are about 100 felines in the cat village now. It used to be more, but due to natural attrition, the number has come down. You see, the cats are neutered before they were put there. That is the correct thing to do, in order to control its population. If it is not done, can you imagine the havoc the cats would create by its ever growing numbers? There would be fights for territory and some might get injured. The costs to feed and care for them would escalate. When in heat, the caterwauling would disturb the residents. The environment and its habitats would also be affected as cats do tend to hunt.
The volunteers have done a wonderful job to keep the numbers down. They check on the cats regularly and gather feedback on their conditions from the locals. They provide medical aid to cats that are unwell and nurse them back to health. All these require a continuous effort and commitments from the volunteers. Kudos to them all!
As Gandhi once said "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated". They are the least protected creatures in our society, and as animal lovers, if we do not put their well-being first, who else would help them? Spare a thought....
And another travel trip awaiting....
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