Cats overtake dogs as Taiwan’s top pets for the first time
Official data show that rising numbers of multi-cat households and higher registration rates are reshaping the market in the Asian country.
The shift in pet ownership in Taiwan highlights a broader change in urban preferences, with cats overtaking dogs as the most popular pets for the first time in 2025.
New insights recently released by the Ministry of Agriculture estimate that the cat population has risen 32.8% since 2023 to an estimated 1.74 million. By contrast, dog ownership declined slightly by 1.2% to 1.46 million.
The dog population began to decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, falling from 1.54 million in 2019 to 1.24 million in 2021. In contrast, cat ownership rose 14% in that period, from 0.76 million in 2019 to 0.87 million in 2021.
Household pet ownership
Despite the shift in total population, the proportion of households owning domestic dogs remains 1.2% higher than that of households owning domestic cats.
Meanwhile, the share of people who own 2 or more domestic dogs shows no significant change in the 2025 data. In contrast, multi-cat ownership has increased significantly.
The estimates are based on a nationwide survey conducted by the Taiwanese government. Surveys in 2023 and 2025 included mobile phone samples, whereas the 2021 survey relied mainly on residential telephone samples.
Registrations
The national dog registration rate increased from 69.5% in 2021 to 77.2% in 2024. Over the same period, the sterilization rate of domestic dogs rose from 66.41% to 71.75%, indicating a steady upward trend.
The Taiwanese government says the consistently high sterilization rate among female dogs is a key indicator for controlling breeding and reducing stray populations, reflecting effective source-management measures. However, regional disparities persist.
For cats, registration rose significantly from 58.45% in 2023 to 66.48% in 2025. This followed the announcement of the Animal Protection Act on 16 December 2024, which mandates the registration of pets, including cats, with a 1-year grace period. The law took effect on 1 January 2026.
However, survey results indicate that a significant number of pet owners remain unaware of the requirement to register their domestic cats.
Retail value sales of pet products in Taiwan rose 12% in 2025 to TWD$29.2 billion ($922.7M/€788.4M), according to Euromonitor.
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