Cats are the winner in the latest round of cats versus dogs. The Agricultural Ministry announced Friday that the total number of domestic cats in Taiwan has increased by 50% over what it was in 2023, with the number of pet dogs increasing by 19%.
The ministry obtained the numbers via telephone survey, and said the increase corresponds to internationally observed effects of urbanization. Cats better suit a dense urban lifestyle than dogs, reflected by an increase of almost 4% of households with cats, versus dogs at 1%. Regardless, pet ownership on the whole continues to rise.
Along with the data on pet ownership, the survey also obtained information about registration and sterilization. The results indicate a majority of dogs and cats are registered. Only dogs, cats in Taipei, and a select few other animals must be chip-registered, but in most other counties it is up to the owner whether they wish to microchip and register their pet.
As for sterilization, the number of sterilized dogs has increased, but the number of sterilized cats has slightly decreased, despite the large majority of cat owners being willing to put their pets through the procedure. The ministry noted that a problem remains with owners keeping free-range unneutered dogs – exacerbating Taiwan's stray animal crisis. They remind owners not to allow rampant breeding, and to consider the welfare of the animals and their offspring before allowing breeding.
In response to the increasing number of animal companions, the Agricultural Ministry plans to promote ethical management for all types of pets. They also intend to establish a more robust classification system and to reassess what types of pets should be registered.