Pet economy booms

For instance, the company he works for has more than a dozen prescription dog foods for the China market, aiming to help dogs with illnesses like liver or intestinal problems.

As the Chinese seek more healthy and happy lives, they are willing to spend more on their furry friends. And domestic pet food makers are catching up with the trend, says Zhao Haiming, general manager of Pure & Natural, a Chinese pet food brand.

"Our market research finds pet owners in China are now more well-informed about their pets' health, and closely check the ingredients and nutritional elements before buying pet food," says Zhao. "So, we are developing new products to keep up with consumer needs."

According to the Pet Industry White Paper 2018 published by goumin.com, a Chinese online pet forum, Chinese dog and cat owners are expected to spend over 5,000 yuan (about $740) per pet in 2018, an increase of 15 percent from last year. And the value of China's dog and cat market last year was more than 170 billion yuan.

Xiao says that in addition to cat food, raising her pet involves other expenses like grooming, vaccines and medical treatment. The total expenditure for her cat is about 10,000 yuan a year.

American company Litter Robot brought an auto-cleaning litter box to the fair, which reduces the frequency of cleaning a litter box to once every few weeks.