Why Cats Are Taking Over as Asia’s Favorite Pets: Insights from Korea, China, and Japan

Translation result. Across East Asia — including South Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan — pet cats have overtaken or are closing in on dogs, shifting the region’s pet culture from dogs to cats. Analysts say low birthrates, rising single-person households and cramped living spaces—structural features common in East Asia—have helped make cats the new “urban companion.”

On the 10th (local time), CNN reported that countries across East Asia, such as South Korea, China and Japan, are showing a growing preference for cats and linked the trend to a regional demographic crisis. According to the report, China saw the crossover in 2021, while Japan shifted toward cats about a decade ago. Taiwan is projected to have 1.7 million pet cats by 2025, surpassing dogs for the first time, and cat ownership has also risen sharply in South Korea and Hong Kong.

Experts point to urban living as the primary reason East Asians are choosing cats. Cho Ngai, a professor in Hong Kong, said, “Cats adapt well to indoor life and don’t need daily walks, so they’re a more practical choice for busy city workers.”

The trend is closely tied to falling birthrates and the increase in one-person households across the region. Younger generations are delaying marriage and children and often treat pets like children, fueling rapid growth in related markets. In South Korea, online sales of pet strollers surpassed sales of baby strollers for the first time in 2023. A Goldman Sachs report projects China’s dog- and cat-food market will reach about 17.87 trillion KRW (about $12 billion) by 2030.

Cultural attitudes that once stigmatized cats are changing quickly. In South Korea, cats were once viewed as a symbol of bad luck, but the COVID-19 pandemic shifted perceptions, and many now see cats as easy-to-care-for indoor companions. Paul Wong, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, said, “In the past, dogs were for security and cats for catching rats; now both are companions like family. People are finding psychological comfort in pets instead of having children.”