Smart cat shelter offers new hope for stray felines

Great news for animal lovers! Longhua District's first smart rescue and adoption station for stray cats is now open to the public.

Longhua District’s first smart rescue-and-adoption station for stray cats debuts in the lively Langyuan Garden business district. Photos from WeChat account "深圳龙华"

Situated in the bustling Langyuan Garden business district, the 15-square-meter station is a transparent glass room that features separate areas for play, feeding, and isolation, as well as a self-service cat food purchase area for the convenience of pet enthusiasts.

Thanks to its transparent design, passers-by can directly observe the cats' living conditions. Additionally, a 24-hour livestreaming system in the room allows potential adopters to remotely monitor the cats' activities at any time.

The station can accommodate up to 15 stray cats, with each cat's stay limited to six months.

The smart station includes designated zones for play, feeding, and isolation, plus a self-service area where pet lovers can purchase cat food.

According to its creator, Xian Huan, a post-1990s robotics researcher and cat owner for over a decade, the project aims to reduce the number of stray cats in the community while providing an adoption platform for cat lovers through intelligent management and an open adoption model.

Xian's team has launched seven similar adoption stations across the city, with the Longhua station being the first one set up in a busy commercial area.

"We prefer locations in commercial areas and near office buildings and youth apartments, as this helps increase the visibility of stray cats and encourages more people to adopt them," he said.

According to him, the station is intended to be a transit point rather than a permanent home for the cats. If a cat is not adopted within six months, the team will explore alternative opportunities for the cats, such as employment in therapeutic or medical assistance roles.

“Cats can heal people’s emotions. We’re considering having them assist in medical or therapeutic work in exchange for finding a permanent home,” he said.