今日上海
从户外装备到人工智能，亚洲宠物展展示了中国在宠物方面的消费情况 - 2026年08月23日
From outdoor gear to AI, Pet Fair Asia shows how China is spending on pets
A Market in Full Bloom
China's pet market reached 312.6 billion yuan in 2025, up 4.1 percent year on year, a figure that underscores just how deeply pets have embedded themselves into the fabric of Chinese family life. To cater to this booming demand, the 28th Pet Fair Asia brought together more than 2,600 exhibitors from China and overseas, marking the largest edition in its history. From pet food and home grooming to outdoor gear and smart devices, the fair offered a glimpse into the trends reshaping an industry in constant motion.
Pets as Family, Spending as Self-Care
For the vast majority of owners, dogs and cats are no longer simply animals, they are unequivocally family. And families are spending accordingly, from premium food and treats to oral care, grooming, and deodorizing products. Many of these offerings are tailored to specific ages, sizes, and health conditions, reflecting a broader shift: pet consumption is increasingly mirroring the way people shop for themselves.
In 2025, China's urban dog and cat population continued to age, with around 30 million pets aged seven or above. As more companion animals enter their senior years, demand is rising for better nutrition and more attentive healthcare.
"One of the simplest ways is to let consumers actually see the ingredients, what exactly goes into the food," said Xu Yin, CEO and founder of FurFurLand, Want Want Group. "They may even expect those ingredients to be almost the same quality as food for people. Pet food is a very unusual category because the user and the consumer are completely separate. The users are cats, but they cannot speak. The consumers are their owners, but they do not eat the food themselves. So building trust is something we really have to work on."
The Great Outdoors, Now with Paws
Pet spending is no longer confined to food bowls and squeaky toys. On the social platform RedNote, content related to "taking pets outdoors" has generated more than 120 million views, while commercial posts about outdoor pet gear have increased nearly sixfold year on year. From hiking and camping to trekking, more and more young owners are bringing their pets along on outdoor adventures.
"Pet apparel has entered the technical gear era," explained Chen Fangzhou, an outdoor brand representative at the fair. "Our pet shell jackets use the same Cordura fabric as our jackets for people. They meet professional standards, with a waterproof rating of 10,000 and breathability of 6,000. We develop our products for people and pets at the same tier, with matching designs and equipment."
Even automakers are paying attention. "This vehicle is designed specifically for families, including dog and cat owners," said Wang Suo, a representative from one car brand. "If you fold down the second row, you get a bed about 2.2 meters long. You can lay out an air mattress, have your pet next to you, and go camping with a tent nearby, looking up at the sky together. It is really about enjoying that lifestyle."
The Rise of the Smart Pet
With the number of pet dogs and cats in China expected to grow by less than one percent this year, the market is entering a slower-growth phase. Companies are now looking for opportunities not simply in attracting more pet owners, but in developing more specialized ways to care for each animal. In China's first-tier cities, the penetration rate of smart pet devices has already passed 35 percent.
One product making its global debut at the fair applies wearable health technology to something as ordinary as a daily walk. Shanghai Xingchen Smart Pet Technology has developed a device that monitors heart rate, blood oxygen, and body temperature in real time.
"A relative of ours had a French bulldog that suffered heatstroke at just 23 or 24 degrees Celsius and could not be saved," said CEO Chi Yiyuan. "Our product measures indicators including heart rate, blood oxygen and body temperature, aiming to identify the risk and warn the owner before heatstroke occurs. People normally judge a walk by feel. We want to make it measurable and become the Apple Watch for pets."
Short-nosed breeds such as French bulldogs can have difficulty regulating their body temperature, while older dogs may require closer monitoring during exercise. "We distribute the weight across the dog's chest and back, with sensors only 0.8 millimeters thick positioned at specific data-collection points," Chi added. "Together, these features allow us to provide medical-grade heart-rate monitoring."
Listening, Watching, Understanding
Other devices are gathering information through sound and images. Pet brand petpogo showcased a 25-gram camera that can be worn by a pet, placed inside the home, or used by the owner, offering three different points of view. Paired with the company's PetPhone, the system creates what the brand calls a "combo set" for comprehensive observation.
"From listening, watching, and speaking, you can observe your pet's condition at all times, and you can interact and chat with them anytime," said Chen Yifei, head of the brand's domestic division. "The data recorded, heard, and monitored by PetPhone and PetCam are uploaded to our system for analysis. This can help owners understand their pets' condition and identify whether their behavior is normal or unusual. Through AI analysis, the system learns more about an animal's habits the longer it is used."
Even a visit to the litter box can become a source of insight. CAT-LINK, a Shanghai-based smart pet company, has developed an algorithm that assesses a cat's health using data such as the duration and frequency of its litter-box visits, combined with information about eating and drinking.
"It can be particularly useful for first-time cat owners," said company representative Chen Hongshang. "Our algorithm assesses a cat's health based on toilet data, duration, frequency, and combines this with eating and drinking data to form a broader assessment."
The Next Chapter
As China's pet market matures, the focus is shifting from sheer numbers to depth of care. Whether through human-grade ingredients, technical outdoor apparel, or AI-powered health monitoring, the message from Pet Fair Asia is clear: pet spending has become deeply personal. The animals may not be able to speak, but their owners are listening, with sensors, cameras, and wallets at the ready.
Source: Shanghai Eye
