'Cat economy' sees roaring expansion as youngsters spend

[Photo: from VCG]

The world's most populous country is in love with cats. China's 59 million feline pets have spawned a "cat economy", a key sector of the overall pet industry that was worth 134 billion yuan ($20.5 billion) last year, up from 100 billion yuan in 2016 and just 2 billion yuan in 2005.

The figure is expected to balloon to 188.5 billion yuan by 2020 with an annual growth of 30 percent, according to a report from Dog Network, China's online pet services provider.

Globally, in terms of number of pet cats, China now ranks second behind the United States, according to data of the National Bureau of Statistics.

It is a business that spans toys, nail clippers, fur care powder, anti-worm pills, balls, laser pens, soft tissue rolls, pooper scoopers, hygiene products, furniture, intelligent devices and cat teasers.

These are all in addition to popular products like cat food, cat fashion, and services like veterinary centers, pet care hotels and cat-cafes, where patrons get to pet and cuddle freely roaming furry, purring, adorable feline beauties.

[The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI] 

(News source: China Daily)