Psychologists say that owning cats helps meet their need for love and belonging

"Seeing it, even the weary heart is healed"

Nowadays, pet cats are becoming more and more common. Walking on the street, from time to time I see young people carrying cat bags walking by, and the cats and cats reveal their cute heads from the transparent cover of the cat bags, which is almost melting people's hearts.

According to the latest data of the "2022 China Pet Industry White Paper", the number of people raising dogs and cats in China reached 2022.7043 million in 2021, an increase of 2.91% over 2022. In 3412, the number of urban dog owners in the country will be 3631.2021 million, and the number of cat owners will be 12.59 million, and the number of cat owners has exceeded the dog population, with a year-on-year growth rate of <>.<>% over <>.

The cat does not need to walk, a bowl of water, a bowl of cat food and a litter box can make it live well, which is perhaps the main reason why cats are more favored. And young people also have more sense of value and responsibility by taking care of cats.

Text/Guangzhou Daily all-media reporters Yang Xin and Lu Mengqian

The numbers say cats

Young people in their twenties and thirties account for more than 60% of cat owners

In fact, according to the 2021 China Pet Industry White Paper, the number of pet cats has surpassed pet dogs in 2021 and has become the most pet kept by people. According to the report, in 2021, the number of pet cats in urban households in China was about 5806.2020 million, and according to a total of about 49416.2021 million households in the country in 8 (data source: the seventh national census data released in <>), on average, about one cat per <> households.

In addition, according to the "2022 China Feline Diagnosis and Treatment Report", young people aged 20-30 are the main group of cat owners, accounting for 62% of the total number of cat owners.

Pet cats are mainly obtained through purchase transactions, accounting for 44%, of which the highest proportion is purchased through offline pet stores, reaching 20%; Purchases from other pet owners accounted for 18% and 6% online, respectively; In addition, 27% of pet cats were acquired through adoption.

76% of pet owners treat cats as important family members, loved ones or even children; 16% of pet owners regard cats as friends, partners, and objects to confide in negative emotions; 7% believe that cats are pets and have no specific role positioning.

According to the "2022 China Pet Consumption Report", the size of China's urban pet (dog, cat) consumption market in 2022 will be 2706.2021 billion yuan, an increase of 8.7% over 2021; The growth of the pet dog consumption market has slowed down, increasing by 3.1% compared with 2021; The consumer market size of pet cats continued to expand steadily, increasing by 16.1% compared with <>.

Psychologists say cats

Cats make young people who work hard in a foreign land no longer lonely

Today's cats not only appear in the family, but also in many personal studios. In the Harmony Psychology Studio located in Keyun Road, Tianhe, Guangzhou, there is a beloved puppet cat named "Doudou". Almost all the consultants and visitors come to the studio, and the first thing to meet is Doudou, who is everyone's star.

Dr. Xu Jiali, executive director of the Guangdong Applied Psychology Research Association, told reporters that many visitors like to play with "Doudou". By spending time with cats and cats, it is easier for them to get rid of painful and sad emotions. "It's not that having a cat will cure depression, but it does play a role in alleviating depression."

"Many young people around me love to raise cats, everyone is alone in the big city, cats and cats are companions." "One person goes to work, one person leaves work, the residence is empty, the loneliness is everywhere, and with cats it is different." Raising a cat to make yourself no longer lonely is a real experience for many young people.

Psychologists believe that, according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a person needs to have a sense of belonging and the satisfaction of being loved in order to feel comfortable. In reality, young people work hard in a foreign land, parents, relatives and friends are not around, and it is not easy to establish close contact with a person. At this time, the appearance of cats makes up for the lack of belonging and love to a certain extent.

Young man said cat

Raising a cat is more in line with the lifestyle of urban young people

Before adopting Garfield's "sugar cone", Xia Bing (pseudonym), who was engaged in the IT industry, never thought of getting a small pet, but he gradually noticed that many friends around him had cats, and looking at the pictures of everyone showing cats in the circle of friends, he itched in his heart. Finally, one day, he went to the pet store to adopt a cat, and his life changed forever. "Every day as soon as the door opened after work, the 'cone' would come over and meow at me, and when I saw it, my tired heart was healed."

Compared with dogs, cats are actually more attractive to young people than the word "relaxed". Young people are busy every day and have less free time, while cats do not need human companionship, as long as they prepare water and cat food, and a litter box, they can live very comfortably, which is more in line with the lifestyle of young people.

"If the time and energy spent by raising a cat is compared to driving a small car, then the time and energy spent by raising a dog is equivalent to driving a land cruiser." Xia Bing's good friend Luo Jia has raised dogs, and now he is raising cats, which is more experienced in comparison.

Dr. Xu also said that having a cat is also beneficial to young people's socialization. The more people have cats, the more likely they are to talk to each other. "Two people who originally couldn't fight each other, because they both have cats, they may have more to talk about."

Xiao Bei, who works at a pet hospital in Haizhu District, told reporters that some young people who brought cats to see each other knew each other in this way. "Talk about the experience of daily cat raising, the physical condition of cats, and the cute behavior of cats..." Many young people have formed friendships through cat breeding.

There are also many animal rescue organizations who believe that raising a cat can cultivate a person's love and patience, and also relieve the emotional pressure of young people. "But don't adopt a kitten on a whim, because cats are a life, not a plaything." They remind young people that while enjoying the company of cats, they must also take responsibility for cats. (Guangzhou Daily)