Mikan (cat)

Mikan (Chinese: 蜜柑; pinyin: Mìgān; Wade–Giles: Mi4-kan1; born 4 April 2020) is an orange and white cat that serves as the station master of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery metro station, part of the Kaohsiung Metro in Taiwan. Adopted by station staff in 2020, he was appointed station master that September. The metro began to use Mikan for branding purposes, and he quickly became famous, being visited by both the city's mayor Chen Chi-mai and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The metro uses Mikan's social media accounts to promote the care of stray animals. Mikan-related merchandise has provided significant income to the metro, both through direct sales and branding agreements in Taiwan and Japan. Some trains on the Kaohsiung Metro have been decorated with a cartoon depiction of Mikan, and similar depictions have also appeared on a ferry in the city. An inflatable Mikan was created by the city to encourage tourism. The Kaohsiung Metro has used Mikan to promote itself during the Creative Expo Taiwan, named its Christmas fun run after Mikan, and has opened shops dedicated to selling Mikan merchandise. Since Mikan's adoption, several stray cats have also been adopted by other stations within the metro.