China’s Pet Boom: How Cats and Dogs Became Family for a New Generation of Young Urbanites Chen Jiaqi, a 28-year-old marketing professional in Shanghai, pays nearly as much on her cat each month as she spends on her own groceries. There is the premium cat food, delivered on subscription. There are the freeze-dried treats, the interactive toys, the pet insurance, and the quarterly vet checkups. Her cat, a cream-colored British Shorthair named Tuan Tuan, has a heated bed, a cat tree that reaches the ceiling, and more than ten thousand followers on Douyin. “I do not have a boyfriend, I do not have children,” Chen says with a shrug. “Tuan Tuan is my family.” She is not alone. Across China, a pet boom is reshaping how young urbanites think about home, spending, and relationships. According to industry reports, China’s pet market exceeded 300 billion yuan in 2025, with cats and dogs as the dominant species. More than 100 million pets now live in Chinese households, and the number continues to grow. The driving force behind this boom is not families with children — it is single young professionals like Chen, living in cities far from their hometowns, seeking companionship in four-legged roommates. 
Why Young Chinese Are Choosing Pets Over Children China’s birth rate has fallen sharply in recent years, reaching one of the lowest levels in the world. But while the number of babies declines, pet ownership rises. The two trends are not unrelated. For young people in China’s expensive megacities, the financial and time commitments of raising a child are daunting. A pet, by contrast, offers many of the emotional rewards of a dependent relationship — affection, routine, a sense of purpose — at a fraction of the cost and responsibility. A cat needs feeding, cleaning, and vet visits, but it does not need tutoring, school fees, or a college fund. There is also the loneliness factor. Millions of young Chinese have moved to cities for work, leaving behind extended family networks. After a long day at the office, coming home to an empty apartment can be crushing. A pet fills that silence. “When I open the door and Tuan Tuan runs to greet me, even if I had a terrible day, I feel better,” Chen says. “She needs me. That feels good.” The Pet Economy: From Strollers to Pet Hotels The pet boom has created a booming economy. Pet cafes — where customers pay to spend time with cats, dogs, or even rabbits — have spread across every major Chinese city. Beijing alone has over a hundred cat cafes. Pet fashion is visible on every street: small dogs in knit sweaters, cats in harnesses, even luxury pet carriers that cost more than a human handbag. Pet strollers are a common sight in Chinese parks, especially in the evenings. In Chengdu, there is a dog playground with agility equipment. In Shenzhen, a pet hotel offers suites with air conditioning, webcam monitoring, and daily playtime — starting at 200 yuan per night. Pet funeral services have emerged to help owners grieve, complete with cremation, urns, and memorial ceremonies. The most visible sign of the pet economy is perhaps the sheer range of products available on e-commerce platforms like Taobao and JD.com. A search for “cat supplies” returns over a million results: cat trees shaped like castles, self-cleaning litter boxes, automatic feeders with phone apps, and pet clothing for every season. Chinese pet food brands have also proliferated, competing with international giants on both quality and price. The Cultural Shift Behind the Numbers The pet boom would not have been possible without a shift in how Chinese society views animals. A generation ago, dogs in many Chinese cities were primarily guard animals, and cats were kept for pest control. Pets were not considered family members, and spending money on them was seen as wasteful. Today, pet ownership is a mainstream lifestyle choice, particularly among the post-90s and post-00s generations. Social media has accelerated this change: cute pet videos get millions of views, and pet influencers with huge followings can earn substantial income through brand partnerships. To own a well-groomed, well-dressed pet is to participate in a shared online culture. Not everyone is enthusiastic. Some older Chinese grumble about young people spending more on pets than on their parents. Landlord-tenant disputes over pets are common. Urban management rules in some neighborhoods restrict pet ownership, especially for large dogs. And the rise of impulsive pet buying has led to an increase in abandoned animals — a dark side of the boom. Still, the trend shows no sign of reversing. For a generation that is marrying later, having fewer children, and living far from family, pets offer something essential: a warm body to come home to. In that sense, China’s pet boom is not really about animals. It is about people — and what they are looking for in a changing world.
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