The role of pets in supporting healthy lifestyles for senior owners in Japan

A new survey by Tokyo-based venture company TYL of pet owners aged 60 or more found that almost a third (32%) admit that pet ownership has positive effects mentally and physically and that it helps against loneliness. The majority of Japanese pet owners (80%) find having a pet ‘soothing.’

An additional 35.4% highlighted that owning a cat or dog enhanced their ability to communicate with friends and family. A quarter (25.1%) reported increased opportunities to go outside, including walking—attributing the benefits of pet ownership to their physical health.

The April online survey interviewed 478 pet owners aged 60 and over in the East Asian country.

The concerns

Despite the positive benefits of pet ownership, half of the respondents are worried about pet care. The leading concerns are the costs of care (30.8%) and their own health as pet owners (22.6%).

The use of veterinary or other professional services is not a top priority, with 42.3% of respondents not wishing to use them. Some were open to veterinary checkups for their elderly pets in the future (28.7%) or temporarily using a pet care service (24.5%).

Most popular pets

Dogs are the most popular pet among Japanese senior pet owners (45.8%), followed by cats (41.2%). Tropical fish (8.4%), birds (7.9%), and turtles (5.2%) are also common pets in this segment of pet owners.

Over 30% of respondents started keeping a pet after a family recommendation. About one fifth (21.8%) acquired a pet after seeing it at a pet shop, while 15.1% were given a pet that someone else couldn’t keep.