TOKYO - February 22nd is celebrated as "Cat Day" in Japan, with owners generously dishing out special treats for the nation's second most popular pet.
A survey by Intage reveals that 23.8% of households have pets, with dogs being the most popular (40.2%), followed by cats (35.1%).
The pet food market in Japan has seen an 11.7 percentage point increase compared to the previous year, with cat food showing significant growth. In particular, cat treat sales have approximately doubled in the last five years. Additionally, awareness of pet evacuation plans in case of disasters has risen, with 89% of respondents having some plan, a 4-point increase from last year. This heightened awareness is attributed to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, which emphasized the importance of pet evacuation. An increasing number of people have indicated that they would live with their pets in a car or a tent outdoors in such situations.
February 22nd is celebrated as Cat Day in Japan because the date, 2/22, can be pronounced as "ni ni ni" in Japanese, which sounds similar to the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat's meow, "nyan nyan nyan." The Japan Pet Food Association officially established Cat Day in 1987 to promote the well-being of cats and to encourage people to adopt and care for them.
Source: ANN
