Cat Village aka Hou Tong, Taiwan

Last weekend, we decided to visit this quiet village, Hou Tong (which incidentally, for fans of The Bachelorette, is pretty near Ping Xi, where The Bachelorette was shot - the lantern scene in Taiwan).

The main attraction here, at least for me, were the cats. Apparently, this village is known for their cat population, as well as their cat-loving villagers.

The numerous cat references around the little village (which used to be a coal mining village) ...

Special signs: Slow Down! Beware of cats roaming the area!

And here are some of the many cat residents ...

Some are more receptive to strangers than others ...

This one has a "paw print" on its back!

This one was HUGE!

This one is apparently called "La Mei" in Chinese, or "Hot Gal" in English :)

I was thinking this was one strange kitty, as it curled up and slept in the middle of the busy train station! Turned out, it was actually one of the 3 station mascots!

An orange and white tabby sleeping peacefully under the shade, in the cool green grass ...

A wee lil kitten on the roof of a makeshift hut ...

Another wee lil kitten playing in the abandoned coal mine ...

Minimal Cafe, A Cat Cafe, in Taipei

ok ... so I have a soft spot for cats, especially kittens - they are just such adorable little furballs, with their soft fur, pink noses and pink paws ... awwwww ... I wish I could get one, but with all the travelling I do, it's hard to keep a pet. Fortunately, some fellow cat lovers have come up with the concept of a cat cafe, where I can get my fill of the feline kind ...

Here's Minimal Cafe at Shida, Taipei ...

The welcome kitty? ... so sweet ....

A cat drinking from a ... a .... fish tank?!?!

(Don't worry. No fish were harmed in filming this shot.)

These two big ginger cats apparently have their favorite spots near the coffee machine cos of its heat/warmth.

(Warning: Approach these kitties with caution otherwise you might end up having a close encounter with their sharp teeth and claws!)

My favorite of them all: Jiao Jiao (named after "Jiao Tang" or Brown Sugar ... apt isn't it?). She's such a sweetheart! She allowed me to grab her and let me stroke and pet her without a fight. What a sweet temperament she has! And doesn't she look like a sphinx?

(Erm ... for those of you who are questioning the wisdom of having waffles/human food on the counter where several cats are, the waffles pictured here were not for the customers ... phew! ... I suspect they were the "unsuccessful" waffles, not meant for human consumption.)

And this kitty was curled up in this position throughout my entire visit ... I like the way his/her paw is curled up over his/her nose ... kinda like a "Just leave me alone" position, don't you think?

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?