[WHY] Feline good: What turned Korea so cat crazy?

Home > >

[WHY] Feline good: What turned Korea so cat crazy?

Published: 04 Nov. 2023, 07:48 Updated: 10 Nov. 2023, 19:58

LEE TAE-HEE
lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr

Two kittens rest in a bed. Cats have become an increasingly popular pet for Koreans. [PIXABAY]

"I'm the only one without a cat."

The phrase, used to show envy toward people who have the privilege of living with a cat, can easily be seen in YouTube videos or Instagram posts that feature cats.

Choi Yeon-jeong, a 28-year-old living in Seoul, is one of the cat lovers frequently using the phrase. Watching cat channels on YouTube such as haha ha and Zzon-Ddeok Kim, Choi's recent obsession is videos of Zzon-Ddeok the cat and the small kitten called Ttanbbang, which was recently brought into the YouTuber's home as a short-term foster pet.

"Watching Zzon-Ddeok initially hissing and being cautious about the kitten but slowly opening up is so adorable, and I look forward to any notification from the channel for a new video," Choi said. "Just watching the videos really make me want to have a cat, and I think that might even be an option when I live away from my parents."

A video on YouTube channel Zzon-Ddeok Kim, showing Zzon-Ddeok the cat meeting Ttanbbang, a kitten the YouTuber is temporarily fostering. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Some people even call themselves “lancable butlers” in the comments, referring to a nickname given to people who eagerly watch cat videos online. The word butler is added to emphasize how humans serve cats, a unique factor that does not happen with other domesticated animals.

"Dogs are animals that form a hierarchical pack and follow a leader, but cats don't have anything like that because they are independent animals," Seo Jeong-woo, a professor specializing in cat studies at Seoul Hoseo Occupational Training College's Department of Companion Animal, said.

"So dogs will obey orders and sit from training commands, but cat owners call themselves butlers because you can't give orders to a cat or even read exactly what is on its mind."

Although cats are not the most obedient animals to live with, the so-called lancable butlers did not just end as an internet phenomenon. The number of cats kept as pets have been steadily rising in Korea.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, there were 2.55 million domestic cats in Korea as of 2022. That's up 12.7 percent on year.

Dogs were still a popular companion with 5.45 million of them kept as pets, but the figure only rose 5.2 percent on year.

Things were different even just 10 years ago, when cats used to be shunned for being associated with bad luck or appear off-putting due to strays often wailing and making a mess on the streets. But the tables have turned, with the increase of cats expected to continue to rise. According to Euromonitor, the number of domestic cats have been annually rising by an average 9 percent in the past five years, and is expected to rise by an average 4 percent until 2028.

Numbers are increasing, but why have cats become such popular choices in Korea?

A cat living at a guest house in Hadong, South Gyeongsang [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

Busy Koreans prefer low maintenance

One of the biggest reasons why cats have risen to popularity is the view that cats are low maintenance.

Although dogs require regular walks, baths and extensive training, cats are considered to be comparably low maintenance.

"Cats require less care, such as going on walks, compared to dogs, so it has been preferred by people who are busy," Kim Ok-jin, a professor teaching zoonotic therapeutics at Wonkwang University, said.

Although there are certain responsibilities given to cat owners, there are less boxes to check off.

The National Cat Groomers Institute of America recommends owners bath their cat once every four to six weeks, but indoor cats that groom themselves can go for months without bathing and are recommended to do so. Hairless breeds such as the sphinx cat, peterbald and devon rex are some of the rare exceptions that require weekly bathes due to a buildup of oil on their skin.

Whether cats require walks is a controversial subject, but many say cats do not require regular walks due to being territorial animals that do not like to go beyond their personal area. Organizations such as the Korean Organization for the Protection of Cats state that cats should not be walked, as walks stress them out and may lead to cats getting surprised due to external stimulus and running 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” — putting together DINK, acronym for double income, no kids and pet to refer to married couples who opt for pets instead of children — and honpet, a portmanteau of hon, Korean for alone, and pet, are some of the words that represent the new lifestyle trends.

"A lot of people say you're going to be lonely if you live alone, don't get married, don't have children and all those things like that, but I've been perfectly fine living with my cat," said Lee Jae-ha, a 33-year-old living in Seoul. "I'm actually kept occupied because of my cat, since I have to look after it and care for it."

Smaller houses and studio apartments preferred by those who live alone or only with their significant other is also a perfect environment for cats.

With most Korean houses being apartments and not having gardens, many homes are considered too small for high-energy dog breeds that require a lot of outdoor activity.

But for cats, there are not that many such limitations.

"Many people think you need a spacious house to have a dog, and that is actually the case," Professor Seo said. "But even studio apartments are OK for cats because cats like high places and need vertical space, rather than requiring general spaciousness."

Being relatively quiet due to not barking is another reason that has made cats suitable for apartments, which most of Korea's population lives in.

People browse for cat towers for their pets at a cat fair at COEX in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, in February. [NEWS1]

So, can cats be left alone?

If cats are low maintenance, are they ideal companions for single-person households that leave their house empty for long periods of time?

Due to this common perception, many Koreans in their 20s or 30s have been choosing to have cats as their first pet after starting to live alone.

But low maintenance just means less work, and not that owners can leave their cats unattended and give it less care.

"Cats are independent, and it is true that they feel less lonely compared to dogs," Professor Kim said. "But they still feel love and grow from affectionate care from their owners, so a set time needs to be allocated to interact with your cat every day."

Being left alone for a normal eight hour working day will generally be OK for cats, with some being OK for longer hours if there are adequate amounts of water and food. But being home alone too much may be stressful even for cats, although they are not as explicit about it through loud barks or whimpering near the door.

"Just because cats are independent, it doesn't mean that they don't get depressed or have separation anxiety," Professor Seo said. "It's just that their levels are lower than dogs."

"They sleep a lot, or almost 20 hours a day, so it seems like they aren't as lonely and so loneliness felt by cats is a bit overlooked by people."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]

korea joongAng daily

Home > >

[WHY] Feline good: What turned Korea so cat crazy?

Related Stories

You might also like