Is it better to have a cat or a dog?

It has always seemed to be a question that is difficult to have a standard answer. Both "cat pie" and "dog pie" seem to be able to give enough reasons, but it is difficult to convince each other.

And to ask, are there more dog owners or more cat owners?

On the island of Taiwan, statistics give the answer.

Data map: cute cute cat.

Photo by Yang Bo

"Dog Pie" to "Cat Pie"

　　According to the latest statistics released by the financial affairs department of the Taiwan authorities, as of the end of last year, the total number of registered pet dogs and cats in Taiwan was 2.22 million, of which 1.4 million were dogs and 820,000 were cats.

Cumulative number of cats and dogs registered in Taiwan from 2018 to 2022.

Image source: United News Network

　　However, what is interesting is that compared with the annual new registration of about 100,000 pet dogs, the number of pet cat registrations has been growing rapidly in recent years.

The data shows that in 2021 and 2022, the number of newly registered pet cats in Taiwan will be 115,000 and 132,000 respectively, achieving "overtaking on a curve" for two consecutive years and becoming a new breeding trend.

　　It is worth mentioning that in 2018, there were only two counties and cities in Taiwan that registered mainly cats.

Last year, only five counties and cities including Hualien County, Taitung County, Pingtung County, Chiayi County, and Tainan City still kept dogs as the majority, and cats became the mainstream in most areas. The phenomenon of "pai" is widely seen in various counties and cities. The proportion of cats in Keelung City, Taichung City, Taipei City and other places even exceeds 60%, which reflects the pet keeping preferences of people in various parts of Taiwan to a certain extent.

Data map.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Wen

Pets are full of strange things and bear emotional sustenance

　　Pet keeping is increasingly becoming people's emotional sustenance.

In addition to common cats and dogs, chickens, ducks, fragrant pigs, gray rabbits, minks, hedgehogs and even various reptiles are no longer rare.

　　Zhongshi News previously reported that in order to cultivate students' sense of responsibility and respect and care for life, Yunlin County Dacheng Senior Commercial Vocational School held a special "Life Education Pet Day": more than 30 students brought their own pets In school, in addition to common dogs and cats, there are also hedgehogs, hamsters, frogs, parrots and even lizards, pythons, etc. Many students call it scary.

Students of Dacheng Senior Commercial and Industrial Vocational School in Yunlin County, Taiwan, brought their pets to class, and ball pythons became the focus of attention.

Image source: Taiwan "China Times News Network"

　　The principal of the school said that studies have shown that owning pets can regulate mood, reduce stress, reduce loneliness and promote interpersonal relationships, among many benefits.

For students who feel insecure, keeping pets can help them cope with emotions such as fear and sadness, overcome feelings of isolation and inferiority complex, relieve stress and strengthen self-control.

　　Treating pets like family members underscores the emotional importance of animals to people.

ETtoday news cloud reports that Taiwanese pet funeral service provider "Yilan Pet Death Ark" recently received a special funeral service. An Arowana owner wanted to leave "Yutuo" because he felt that he had not taken good care of his fish. "As a souvenir.

"The owner feels owed to the pet during his lifetime, so he wants it to live decently."

"The business opportunities for fur kids are amazing!"

　　The rising number of pets is driving the rapid development of related industries.

　　"The business opportunities for fur kids are astonishing!" This is the best summary of this phenomenon in Taiwan's "Economic Daily".

Statistics show that last year, the sales of pet-related industries in Taiwan reached 38.73 billion yuan (NT$, the same below), a record high.

　　From the perspective of the number of industries, there were a total of 6,486 pet-related merchants in Taiwan in 2018, which will increase to 8,335 in 2022, and sales will increase from 26.58 billion yuan to 38.73 billion yuan.

In recent years, regardless of the number of merchants or sales, the growth rate has been much higher than that from 2013 to 2017.

　　Interestingly, in pet food sales, dogs and cats together accounted for nearly 98%, and the "snack types" were the most sold, while the amount of food for other pets was very small.

The difference is that nearly half of cat food comes from imports, while dog food imports account for only 30%. This reflects to a certain extent the differences in the purchase intentions of owners, and also shows that different pets have different market opportunities.

　　As the demand for pet breeding grows, talent training has also attracted attention.

Taking Nanhua University in Taiwan as an example, the school has newly opened courses such as animal interactive communication and pet industry trends to help students understand the development and economic benefits of the pet industry.

Liao Xiuling, a student of the school, said that she is also keeping pets, and she looks forward to using the practical experience learned in the classroom to expand opportunities for future development in the pet industry.

Behind the warm heart reveals helplessness

　　Behind the fiery pet industry, there are both warmth and benefits, but also a little helplessness.

According to the latest bulletin issued by the "Statistics Office" of the Taiwan authorities, the aging population, declining birth rate and the gradual alienation of interpersonal relationships in modern society have given birth to the demand for "companionship", and the demand for pet keeping has risen rapidly.

　　According to statistics, the number of newborns in Taiwan will be less than 139,000 in 2022, which is a record low and far less than the number of newly registered pets.

This also led the relevant parties to set up a "birth reduction office" to deal with the population crisis.

　　Public opinion on the island believes that wages cannot cope with living costs such as housing prices, commodity prices, and medical care, so young men and women of the right age choose not to have children, but take care of pets as their own children.

And docile and lovely dogs and cats are naturally the best choice for most people, and this is why the so-called "hair parents" come into being.

The Taiwan authorities have invested a large amount of budget to deal with the declining birth rate, but have not included issues such as high working hours and high housing prices into the countermeasures, resulting in a decrease in the willingness of young people to have children.

Image source: Taiwan's "China Times"

　　At the same time, most young people choose to go to big cities to develop after graduating from school. The elderly left behind at home lack the time and opportunity to communicate with their children. In order to relieve loneliness and find emotional sustenance, it also boosts the development of the pet breeding industry to a certain extent.

(China News Agency WeChat public account reporter Mu Lang)