Four-legged friends fuel pet spending boom in country

JINAN — When dawn breaks, a factory in East China's Shandong province is already humming with life. The warm, hearty aroma of freshly baked kibble swirls through the air as sacks of probiotic-enriched pet food journey along conveyor belts, bound for homes with furry companions across the country.

Many of these parcels from Guo Tai Min An Pet Food, a company in Tai'an, are orders from the recent Double 11 shopping festival — an annual event in China similar to Black Friday — offering a clear snapshot of the country's booming pet economy.

This year's Double 11 cemented the sector's boom with a 59 percent increase in sales on e-commerce platforms, which climbed to 9.4 billion yuan ($1.33 billion), highlighting the growing popularity of pets and the comprehensive upgrade of the country's pet industry.

"Pet owners today care about what their pets eat just as much as they care about what their children eat," said Li Yong, financial director of Guo Tai Min An.

This year, the company rolled out several probiotic-fortified staple foods and developed more functional recipes designed to support gut health and improve coat quality in cats. These offerings have been warmly received by pet owners, with the company's customer base expanding 20 percent from last year.

In a pet food industrial park in Tai'an, six enterprises have formed a complete and mutually supportive supply chain. As output is projected to exceed 1 billion yuan this year, up from 872 million yuan last year, the park exemplifies how science and product innovation are driving China's pet food industry forward.

According to a consumption report released by Petdata, a big data online platform in the pet industry, the value of China's urban dog and cat market rose 7.5 percent year-on-year to 300.2 billion yuan in 2024, with pet owners scaling up their spending in categories such as food, health care, supplies and services.

Another report from iiMedia Research forecasts the market will reach a scale of 1.15 trillion yuan by 2028.

In the showroom of Shandong Kaigao International Trade Co Ltd, designer Zhao Shuimiao put the finishing touches on a cat climbing frame in the shape of a tree, inspecting its hollow chambers, tiered limbs and soft nest.

"This height is perfect for cats to climb up to, and the canopy-like nest at the top gives them a sense of security," Zhao told Xinhua, adding that the design team came up with the idea for the frame after close observation of the habits of about 100 cats.

By taking both feline instincts and home decor into account, the product was an instant hit once it debuted. The company has now launched over 2,000 cat climbing frames of more than 30 series, ranging from compact models designed for small apartments to large cat playgrounds suited to households with multiple cats, according to business manager Li Hui.

In Shandong's Caoxian county, which is the heart of China's hanfu traditional attire industry, manufacturers have incorporated hanfu craftsmanship into pet clothing, with delicate embroidery, flowing sleeves and classic silhouettes now featuring in the miniature outfits designed for customers' four-legged friends.

"Pets deserve to look stylish, too," Taorae pet store owner Cheng Zhanying told Xinhua, showcasing a miniature garment in delicate jacquard.

At the same time, dog owner Wang Cuina was browsing racks of pet costumes in Cheng's store.

"It just makes me happy to dress up my pet," Wang said.

With China's urban area now being home to more than 120 million pets, the country has been stepping up efforts to expand pet-friendly services nationwide.

In April this year, 10 designated trains running between five stations on the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway launched a pilot pet consignment service, allowing qualified domesticated cats and dogs to board with their owners and receive special care during their journeys. The number of pet-friendly hotels and restaurants listed on Meituan, a leading online lifestyle services platform, also continues to surge.

Xinhua