Cats have overtaken dogs as the most numerous household pet in Taiwan for the first time, with data from the Ministry of Agriculture showing that there are 1.46 million pet dogs compared to 1.74 million pet cats.
The ministry today released data from last year’s survey on the national pet population, which found that the number of pet dogs had dropped 1.2 percent from the previous survey, while the number of pet cats had risen 32.8 percent.
The ministry surveys pet cat and dog populations nationwide once every two years.
Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei Times
Last year’s survey found there were 1,462,528 pet dogs, down from 1,480,637 in 2023, and 1,742,033 cats, up from 1,311,449 in 2023.
The proportion of households keeping two or more dogs has shown no significant change compared with 2023, while the proportion keeping two or more cats has increased, contributing to the rise, the Department of Animal Welfare said.
Most dog owners only keep one dog, while cat owners often have two or more, department Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said.
Changes in social structure, such as urbanization and apartment living, along with the need to walk dogs, concerns about disruptive barking and space requirements at home, have all contributed to an increase in cat ownership, Chiang said.
There is a similar trend in developed countries in North America and Europe, he added.
Previous surveys found that women are more likely to own pets than men, many of whom are single or elderly and keep pets as companions, Chiang said.
While pets were previously kept for guarding property or catching mice, now companionship is the primary purpose, he said.
The nationwide registration rate for pet dogs increased from 69.5 percent in 2021 to 77.2 percent last year, while the neutering rate rose from 66.41 percent to 71.75 percent, both showing a steady improvement, the ministry said.
Mandatory pet registration for cats was introduced last year, boosting the registration rate from 58.45 percent in 2023 to 66.48 percent last year, it said.
However, awareness among cat owners remains insufficient, and local and central governments need to enact further measures to strengthen compliance, it added.
The pet dog registration rate in Chiayi, Yunlin and Changhua counties is 44.7 percent, 63.6 percent and 66.2 percent respectively, all below the national average, ministry data showed.
The female dog neutering rate in Chiayi City, Yunlin County and Keelung is 52.6 percent, 70.6 percent and 72.4 percent respectively, also below the national average, which impacts management of strays, the ministry said.
The ministry used to run neutering and registration promotion campaigns, but due to fiscal reform laws and insufficient central government funding, these responsibilities have now been transferred to local governments, Chiang said.
For areas with low rates, the government would work in the second half of the year with non-governmental organizations or local groups to assist with neutering and registration, he said.
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