The use of pet products utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) such as feeders, water dispensers and litter boxes is rising, reducing the burden of pet care especially among seniors, a recent study by a Hungkuang University professor found.
The university on Monday last week held the “International Conference on Senior Citizen and Companion Animal Healthcare,” inviting academics from Taiwan, the US, Japan and South Korea to participate.
Hungkuang University Department of Animal Healthcare professor Hou Chih-yuan (侯志遠) said that one key reason people in Taiwan raise pets is to provide companionship for older family members, citing surveys conducted from 2015 to last year at pet expos around Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
This reason accounted for 12.7 percent of pet ownership last year, up from 10.5 percent in 2023, Hou’s study found.
In addition, 76.8 percent of pet owners had AI pet products last year, up from 74.5 percent in 2023, Hou said.
These products include automatic feeders, water dispensers, cat litter boxes and blow-drying boxes, he said.
Automatic feeders were the most common, with 20.7 percent of pet owners using them last year, up from 17.6 percent in 2023, he said.
This shows that modern pet owners lead busy lives and the product helps reduce the burden of pet ownership, he added.
Topics discussed at the conference include caring for older pets with cardiovascular issues, the development of Taiwan’s pet industry and its international integration, and how to use basic natural medicine to care for seniors and their pets.
The conference was organized by the department and the Asia-Pacific Animal Surgical Center, with assistance from the university’s Department of Senior Citizen Welfare and Long-Term Care Business, Department of Nutrition and Department of Hair Styling and Design.
In his remarks, university president Shu Hung-yee (蘇弘毅) said that more than 65 percent of conference attendees are from the pet industry, showing that the conference has become an important annual event and reflecting the university’s connection with the industry.
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