Taiwan Today
Date: February 16, 2016
Taiwan’s cat population is increasing as shown in the latest statistics by the
Taiwan cats can enjoy luxury holidays when staying at such facilities like Cathy Hotel in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Cathy Hotel)
Council of Agriculture under the ROC Executive Yuan.
The number of cats on the island hit 578,993 two years ago, up 91 percent from 2011, and ahead of a 40 percent rise recorded by dogs. A COA official said this growth momentum is expected to continue going forward.
Wayne Chang, president of Taipei Pet Commerce Association, said cats are generally viewed as family members by the public, and require less care than dogs.
“Cats do not have to be walked like dogs and make less noise,” he said, adding that these are major sources of appeal in Taiwan’s work-dominated and urban-based society.
The trend is encapsulated by ROC President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who adopted two tabbies Shiang Shiang and Ah Tsai. Their public debut in her recent Lunar New Year video message revealed a softer side to the chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party. [FULL STORY]
