A new report released Tuesday by Pethadoop, a platform specializing in China’s pet industry, said cats accounted for 59.5% of all
 the pets among the 30,000 respondents surveyed for the research. As of last year, there were some 58 million pet cats in China’s
 urban households, compared with some 54 million pet dogs.
China has seen an increase in pet ownership over the years, with people increasingly choosing cats. Globally, though dogs were
 still more common pets, including the United States and the United Kingdom, cats have emerged as the most popular pet in the
 European Union lately.
Cats have also turned into a social phenomenon in China and elsewhere, with the felines becoming the subject of viral memes and
videos. Many cat lovers online also identify themselves as “cat slaves” and “cat sniffers,” publicly professing their pet preference.
Researchers attribute the fast growth of cat pets to the lifestyle in Chinese cities, with some experts also suggesting the feline’s
 popularity with the young generation’s pursuit of individuality.
Liu Yi, the report’s chief editor, said that many city dwellers have busy lives and relatively smaller accommodations, thus making 
cats their ideal companions — it’s easy to raise cats, unlike dogs that require more attention and outdoor activities.
“Our research shows that the majority of the pet owners are people born after 1990 and 1995,” he said. “Young people are looking
 for freedom and spontaneity in their lives, and the habits of cats are more suited to their needs.”
Cai, a 27-year-old who works in Beijing, said she recently adopted a cat named Nanako. She added that cats were the perfect pet 
for dagong ren, which means “laborer” or “working people.”
“I wanted a dog at first, but since I’m quite busy, I wouldn’t have given them enough time,” she said. “Cats are more independent 
compared with dogs. Nanako has kept me company through my loneliness, which someone like me who works in a big city faces.”

来源：Sixth Tone