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Houtong was once a major coal-mining town, but it gradually faded into silence as the industry declined. Today, it has reinvented itself as Cat Village, developing tourism and becoming an internationally famous spot for cat-watching. In April 2021 the Houtong Cat Public Office preparatory office was established to strengthen the village’s capacity for cat care, offering services such as issuing street cats “ID cards,” conducting “cat census” surveys, and setting up medical stations to meet every need of Houtong’s street cats. At the end of April 2024, the Houtong Cat Public Office officially opened. A comprehensive feline information hub, the Cat Public Office registers the cats living in Houtong, produces ID cards, implants microchips for record-keeping, and carries out regular cat-census surveys. It also partners with non-profit organizations to establish medical stations that provide health-care services for cats, and collaborates with volunteer groups to form patrol teams that enhance village patrols, safeguard the cats and prevent abandonment. A large electronic information board on the exterior wall displays the cats’ favorite hangouts, village news, and links to adoption information for New Taipei City’s eight animal shelters. Painted in Ruifang Gold to echo the local mining heritage, the office is renovated from an old Taiwan Railways dormitory. Cats peek playfully from the roof, paw-print motifs decorate the outdoor lawn, and cat toys furnish the interior, showcasing a new aesthetic of village life. Next door, the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office has planted a large patch of catnip beloved by the cats, creating a diverse, animal-and-plant-friendly ecosystem.