Urban pressures and busy schedules are driving East Asians to choose cats over dogs, fueling a booming pet market and shifting household priorities.
In East Asia, more and more people are favoring cats, shaping a new reality of urban life. Hong Kong is joining this wave: cats are becoming popular companions in dense neighborhoods and are valued for the convenience of life compared to dogs.
For example, in Taiwan, according to government data, cats first surpassed dogs in population in 2025, and the cat population grew from 1.3 million in 2023 to 1.7 million in the previous year – almost 33 percent.
Similar trends were observed on the Chinese mainland in 2021. Japan, probably, became the source of this wave: cats surpassed dogs about a decade ago. Even where dogs still prevail, such as in South Korea or Hong Kong, cats are gaining popularity.
In all these regions, the common factors are: living in small apartments in dense cities, often noticeable loneliness and a busy schedule that reduces time for daily dog walks.
“A cat would be more convenient in the city, since dogs need to be walked more often, time may be tight, and some people are afraid of dogs”
– Ellen Chung
Socio-cultural consequences of urban life
If these factors persist, they also influence people’s decisions about childbearing. “People are deciding not to have children. Therefore, having a pet almost resembles a child,” says Paul Wong, a clinical psychologist who works with therapeutic animals and an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong.
“The cumulative difficulties of urban life are likely to push people to favor cats over dogs,” he adds.
“People are deciding not to have children. Therefore, having a pet almost resembles a child”
– Paul Wong
Gradually, the portrayal of animals’ role is changing: cats are moving from the role of “assistants” to close life-long friends. They adapt better to indoor living and do not require daily walks, which makes them convenient for urban existence.
“These conditions make cats a more practical option, especially for the younger generation”
– Joe Ngai
“Since cats adapt well to indoor environments, do not require daily walks, they provide companionship that fits more easily into the constraints of Hong Kong’s urban life”
– Joe Ngai
The economic dimension of this trend is also growing: in 2024 Goldman Sachs recorded rapid growth in the market share related to cats in China, expecting it to rise to about 12 billion dollars by 2030. In South Korea, demand for cat products even exceeded demand for children’s products.
“If people’s well-being improves, perhaps this is still better than a shrinking population,” Wong concludes.
Despite rising demand for cats and related services, the region remains challenged by urban life: high competition at work, rising cost of living, and social isolation. Yet cats continue to remain a source of warmth and companionship for many, softening loneliness in the fast-paced rhythm of East Asia’s life. In the future, cats will continue to play an important role in the lives of young residents of the region as an affordable source of comfort, friendship, and psychological support in urban conditions.
