What turned Korea so cat loopy?

Two kittens relaxation in a mattress. Cats have turn into an more and more well-liked pet for Koreans. [PIXABAY]

 
“I’m the one one with out a cat.”  
 
The phrase, used to indicate envy towards individuals who have the privilege of dwelling with a cat, can simply be seen in YouTube movies or Instagram posts that function cats.
 
Choi Yeon-jeong, a 28-year-old dwelling in Seoul, is among the cat lovers often utilizing the phrase. Watching cat channels on YouTube comparable to haha ha and Zzon-Ddeok Kim, Choi’s recent obsession is movies of Zzon-Ddeok the cat and the small kitten known as Ttanbbang, which was just lately introduced into the YouTuber’s home as a short-term foster pet.  
 
“Watching Zzon-Ddeok initially hissing and being cautious concerning the kitten however slowly opening up is so lovable, and I stay up for any notification from the channel for a brand new video,” Choi mentioned. “Just watching the movies actually make me need to have a cat, and I feel which may even be an possibility once I stay away from my dad and mom.”
 
 

A video on YouTube channel Zzon-Ddeok Kim, displaying Zzon-Ddeok the cat assembly Ttanbbang, a kitten the YouTuber is quickly fostering. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
Some folks even name themselves “lancable butlers” within the feedback, referring to a nickname given to individuals who eagerly watch cat movies on-line. The phrase butler is added to emphasise how people serve cats, a singular issue that doesn’t occur with different domesticated animals.
 
“Dogs are animals that type a hierarchical pack and observe a pacesetter, however cats haven’t got something like that as a result of they’re impartial animals,” Seo Jeong-woo, a professor specializing in cat research at Seoul Hoseo Occupational Training College’s Department of Companion Animal, mentioned.  
 
“So dogs will obey orders and sit from coaching instructions, however cat homeowners name themselves butlers as a result of you’ll be able to’t give orders to a cat and even learn precisely what’s on its thoughts.”
 
Although cats should not probably the most obedient animals to stay with, the so-called lancable butlers didn’t simply finish as an web phenomenon. The variety of cats saved as pets have been steadily rising in Korea.
 
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, there have been 2.55 million home cats in Korea as of 2022. That’s up 12.7 % on 12 months.
 
Dogs have been nonetheless a preferred companion with 5.45 million of them saved as pets, however the determine solely rose 5.2 % on 12 months.  
 
Things have been completely different even simply 10 years in the past, when cats was once shunned for being related to unhealthy luck or seem off-putting on account of strays usually wailing and making a multitude on the streets. But the tables have turned, with the rise of cats anticipated to proceed to rise. According to Euromonitor, the variety of home cats have been yearly rising by a mean 9 % up to now 5 years, and is predicted to rise by a mean 4 % till 2028.  
 
Numbers are growing, however why have cats turn into such well-liked decisions in Korea?
 

A cat dwelling at a visitor home in Hadong, South Gyeongsang [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

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Busy Koreans favor low upkeep
 
One of the largest the explanation why cats have risen to recognition is the view that cats are low upkeep.  
 
Although dogs require common walks, baths and intensive coaching, cats are thought-about to be comparably low upkeep.  
 
“Cats require much less care, comparable to occurring walks, in comparison with dogs, so it has been most well-liked by people who find themselves busy,” Kim Ok-jin, a professor instructing zoonotic therapeutics at Wonkwang University, mentioned.  
 
Although there are particular tasks given to cat homeowners, there are much less bins to test off.  
 
The National Cat Groomers Institute of America recommends homeowners tub their cat as soon as each 4 to 6 weeks, however indoor cats that groom themselves can go for months with out bathing and are advisable to take action. Hairless breeds such because the sphinx cat, peterbald and devon rex are a number of the uncommon exceptions that require weekly bathes on account of a buildup of oil on their pores and skin.  
 
Whether cats require walks is a controversial topic, however many say cats don’t require common walks on account of being territorial animals that don’t wish to transcend their private space. Organizations such because the Korean Organization for the Protection of Cats state that cats shouldn’t be walked, as walks stress them out and will result in cats getting stunned on account of exterior stimulus and working away.  
 
“Dogs can relieve their stress by going on walks, with sniffing and nosework helping to improve behavior and reduce stress,” Na Eung-sik, a vet and member of the Korean Society of Feline Medicine, said in a YouTube video posted on his channel, warning about cats being walked. “But cats relieve stress through play and prefer to be safely sitting in high areas.”
 
Playing with cats indoors is enough, and Professor Seo recommends 15 minutes of playtime every day.  
 
Rather than playing with the cat 15 minutes straight, he says three intervals of five minutes with breaks in between are enough for cats to use their energy.
 
“Cats have lower energy levels compared to dogs, and even that is used when they climb in and out of boxes or climb on top of high shelves,” Professor Seo said. “So generally, cats are much easier to care for.”
 
 
Rise of single households
 
Among the rising popularity of cats, Korea’s low marriage and fertility rate is another reason why many decide to live with the furry friends.
 
There were 191,690 married couples in 2022, according to Statistics Korea, down 0.4 percent on year. Fertility rate was 0.78, down 0.028 percentage points and the lowest among OECD countries.
 
“Humans are social animals that want to give and receive love, and it is expected they will try to have pets to substitute the happiness that comes from raising children,” Seo Ji-hyuk, analyst at Value Finder, said. “Research shows that families often do not have children but do have pets and single-person households with pets have high satisfaction, and those that don’t have pets have a high tendency to want to have pets in the future.”
 
Terms such as “dinkpet” — placing collectively DINK, acronym for double earnings, no children and pet to seek advice from married {couples} who go for pets as a substitute of youngsters — and honpet, a portmanteau of hon, Korean for alone, and pet, are a number of the phrases that characterize the brand new life-style developments.
 
“Lots of people say you are going to be lonely in case you stay alone, do not get married, haven’t got youngsters and all these issues like that, however I’ve been completely effective dwelling with my cat,” mentioned Lee Jae-ha, a 33-year-old dwelling in Seoul. “I’m truly saved occupied due to my cat, since I’ve to take care of it and take care of it.”
 
Smaller homes and studio flats most well-liked by those that stay alone or solely with their vital different can also be an ideal atmosphere for cats.    
 
With most Korean homes being flats and never having gardens, many properties are thought-about too small for high-energy canine breeds that require numerous outside exercise.  
 
But for cats, there should not that many such limitations.  
 
“Many folks assume you want a spacious home to have a canine, and that’s truly the case,” Professor Seo mentioned. “But even studio flats are OK for cats as a result of cats like excessive locations and want vertical area, relatively than requiring common spaciousness.”
 
Being comparatively quiet on account of not barking is one more reason that has made cats appropriate for flats, which most of Korea’s inhabitants lives in.  
 
 
 

People browse for cat towers for his or her pets at a cat truthful at COEX in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, in February. [NEWS1]

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So, can cats be left alone?
 
If cats are low upkeep, are they perfect companions for single-person households that go away their home empty for lengthy durations of time?
 
Due to this widespread notion, many Koreans of their 20s or 30s have been selecting to have cats as their first pet after beginning to stay alone.
 
But low upkeep simply means much less work, and never that homeowners can go away their cats unattended and provides it much less care.  
 
“Cats are impartial, and it’s true that they really feel much less lonely in comparison with dogs,” Professor Kim mentioned. “But they nonetheless really feel love and develop from affectionate care from their homeowners, so a set time must be allotted to work together along with your cat every single day.”
 
Being left alone for a traditional eight hour working day will usually be OK for cats, with some being OK for longer hours if there are ample quantities of water and meals. But being home alone an excessive amount of could also be traumatic even for cats, though they aren’t as express about it via loud barks or whimpering close to the door.  
 
“Just as a result of cats are impartial, it doesn’t suggest that they do not get depressed or have separation anxiousness,” Professor Seo mentioned. “It’s simply that their ranges are decrease than dogs.”
 
“They sleep loads, or almost 20 hours a day, so it looks like they are not as lonely and so loneliness felt by cats is a bit neglected by folks.”