Fostering Felines : Cat Halfway Houses(b)|半路上的天使：猫中途之家

Fostering Felines: Cat Halfway Houses

『半路上的天使：猫中途之家』

　　One of the main reasons why people can't take on the responsibility of fostering animals is economic, but in New Taipei City, four young women came up with a pragmatic approach by opening a coffee shop that is also a halfway house. Located on the boundary between the city's Sanchong and Luzhou districts, the Stray Cat Halfway House Café is similar to those pet restaurants that were all the rage a while back. You can get a coffee or light snack while enjoying the feeling of adorable cats rubbing past you. You can pleasurably spend your free time just watching them romp and play. The biggest difference between the café and pet restaurants is that if a café customer feels a certain chemistry with one of the residents, they can apply to adopt the animal on the spot.

　　Of course, the adoption process remains rigorous. As one of the founders, Xiao ye, said, "If you aren't a cat slave, don't come here to adopt one of ours." These young women don't care how much money they make because their lives are instead focused on the well-being of the cats. Their attitude is that as long as they don't starve to death, the most important thing for them is for the cats to eat well and have a warm, safe place to sleep. The expenses for the 20-plus cats currently in the café are covered entirely by revenues at the shop, and in the less than one year since they opened, they have given away more than 100 cats for adoption. We all have to be better informed about our animal friends and teach the next generation to respect and treat them well. The whole world will become a better place as a result.

半路上的天使：猫中途之家

　　很多人无法胜任寄养动物工作的主因之一便是经济压力，而新北市有四位年轻女生想出了一种务实的作法，也就是开一家同样是猫中途之家的咖啡厅。位在新北市三重及芦洲交界地区的野喵中途咖啡，有点类似不久前相当热门的宠物餐厅。客人可以在店里喝咖啡或吃吃小点心，同时享受可爱的猫咪在身旁磨蹭的感觉。你也可以开心地观看牠们互相追逐嬉闹来消磨休闲时光。野喵中途咖啡和其他宠物餐厅最大的不同之处是，只要客人看到喜欢的猫咪，就可以当场申请领养。

　　当然，领养程序仍然是很严格的。身为创办人之一的小野说：『如果你不是猫奴（编按：形容爱猫成痴的人），请不要到这里来领养我们的猫。』这些年轻女生并不在意收入的多寡，因为她们的生活重心反而全都放在猫咪的健康上。她们的心态就是只要自己没有饿死，最重要的一件事就是要让猫咪吃得好，并且有一个温暖而安全的地方睡觉。目前店里二十多只猫咪的开销全由咖啡店的收入来支付，开店至今不到一年，她们已经送出一百多只猫咪供人领养。我们所有人都必须更了解我们的动物朋友，并且教育下一代要好好尊重牠们和对待牠们。如此一来，这世界才会变得更美好。

 

本社为尊重《台湾光华杂志》，中文原文登出，仅供参考，中英文如有不尽相符之处，敬请包涵。