New Taipei opens cat-friendly space to promote pet care, adoption

Taipei, Aug. 17 (CNA) New Taipei has opened what it described as Taiwan's first cat-friendly "demonstration and education space," where prospective adopters and existing cat owners can interact with shelter cats and learn how to provide a suitable home environment.

The "Happy Cat Home (幸福喵樂宅)," which opened Monday in the Banqiao public animal shelter, includes a mock home designed around cats' behavioral and physical needs and an educational area covering such topics as adoption preparation, daily care, and health and aging.

Learning to live with cats

Pao Hai-ni (鮑海妮), deputy head of the city's Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, told CNA that the space was designed to help people understand "not only how to interact with cats, but also the kind of environment cats need."

The mock home demonstration area, where three shelter cats are currently staying, includes elevated platforms, hiding spaces and gentler slopes for older cats, along with examples of litter boxes and water bowls, Pao said.

The city hopes the facility will help owners understand how to provide cats with a better living environment and "accompany them into old age," according to the official.

It will also give prospective owners the chance to interact with a cat before adoption, helping them figure out whether they are a good match and reduce the risk of animals later being returned or abandoned, Pao said.

Visitors can reserve a roughly 30-minute session to interact with cats in the mock home, with around six to eight groups accommodated each operating day -- Tuesday through Sunday -- due to limited space and to avoid overwhelming the cats.

Those who need English-language assistance can indicate this when making a reservation, and a volunteer will be arranged to help, Pao said.

During the sessions, visitors are encouraged to let the animals initiate contact.

"We don't want people to grab the cats. We let the cats slowly approach them, because that is what really conforms to cats' natural behavior," Pao said.

Only cats that have adapted to the environment and are comfortable around strangers will be brought into the area, she said.

Cats gaining popularity

New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), who attended Monday's opening, said about 370,000 dogs and cats are registered in the city, including nearly 180,000 cats, with the number of new cat registrations in recent years more than double the number of dog registrations.

The trend mirrors a broader shift across Taiwan. A 2025 Ministry of Agriculture survey estimated the country's pet cat population at 1.74 million, up 32.8 percent from about 1.31 million in 2023, while the estimated pet dog population fell 1.2 percent to about 1.46 million.

According to Pao, 142 cats and 823 dogs are currently available for adoption at the city's eight public shelters, while 2,879 cats and 876 dogs were adopted over the past year.