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\nHow Cats Revived this Ex-Coal Town's Economy | National Geographic\n

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\n\nPublisher:\n\nNational Geographic\n\n\n
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\nThe well-loved cats of Houtong, Taiwan have given a second life to the former coal town. ➡ Subscribe About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their...\nThe well-loved cats of Houtong, Taiwan have given a second life to the former coal town. ➡ Subscribe About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you closer to the stories that matter and past the edge of what's possible. Get More National Geographic: Official Site Facebook Twitter Instagram Houtong (猴硐), Taiwan is known as \"Cat Village\" (貓村). Once a major coal mining center, the economy here now centers on cat tourism. When mining stopped in early 1990s, Houtong’s population plummeted. But the cat-to-human ratio surged, as some relocated without their pets. Others who remained kept feeding the strays. After a visit to Houtong in 2007, Jian Peiling, aka “Mrs. Kitty,” now a pro cat photographer, organized a volunteer welfare campaign for the felines. There have been unhappy moments. People have stolen cats and abandoned them at Cat Village. Introduced animals raise disease risk. Houtong’s cats do receive vaccinations. And they're all fixed, so a stable cat population reflects an illicit influx. Estimates vary: 100 to 200 cats—equal to or double the human population. Two-legged guests are very welcome. In 2009, Houtong's train station had over a quarter million arrivals—already a tenfold increase over the previous decade. But last year, visits may have topped one million. Video: 28Lab / Kei Oumawatari via Caters News Additional images: GoranQ; Nuttapol Puntavachirapan; Sanjin Wang via Getty Images, Xcatx Cai Read more in \"Look Inside Taiwan's 'Cat Village'\" here How Cats Revived this Ex-Coal Town's Economy | National Geographic National Geographic\n
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Pre-K - 11th
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All Subjects
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Instructional Videos
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Source:
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Date
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2018
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