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“When it is difficult, when you are sad, you want a cute cat to heal you” …
It seems that more and more people think that way. Is this also the effect of the new coronavirus? The economic effect was unexpected. (Yukiyo Nagano, reporter, Ministry of Economy)
Triggered by changes in work style
Junko Kobayashi, who works for an IT company in Shibuya, Tokyo, started raising cats in March. The reason for this was that in February of last year, I became a telecommuting focused work style.
He lived in 1K in the center of town at the time. He was a bit too young to work from home. Kobayashi felt that he didn’t have to live in Tokyo because he wasn’t going to work, so he bought a second-hand condo in Chiba prefecture where he could raise pets. At that point, a friend introduced me to a cat who turned out to be protected when he was less than a year old, and I decided to take control and keep him. This is my first experience in animal husbandry.
Mr. Kobayashi
“I was used to living alone, so I was wondering if I could really keep it, considering the responsibility and preparation to have a pet, but when I start to have one, I can’t help it. But it makes me feel like I’m not here. It’s comforting and I’m very happy “.
More pets in Corona
And with this crown disease, the number of newly raised pets increases in a year. Last year, 16% of cats and 14% of dogs increased from the previous year. This is the largest rate of increase in the last five years.
The main reasons to start breeding were “I had breeding experience in the past and wanted to keep it again” and “I wanted to heal and comfort myself in my life” for both cats and dogs. Due to stress, such as refraining from going outside due to the spread of infection, more and more people may seek a cure from their pets.
Cat products one after another
Among them, cats have the drive. In 2017, we surpassed the dog that had been the best breeder in terms of breeding. Last year, there were over a million cats and more than dogs. Cat books and products are appearing on the market one after another.
“Nyappuru”
In January, Shobunsha Publications, known for its “Mappuru” guide, published a guide featuring famous cats and sign cats from around the country. It became a hot topic on social media and it was filled with reservations. It is an exceptionally popular rush reprint ahead of its release.
“Catlet”
Daiwa House Industry, a home manufacturer, launched an exclusively cat bathing unit in February. When the sensor detects that the cat is doing something and leaves the bathroom, it has a function to automatically wash it. A shower holder is also installed that is easy to wash even if the cat moves, and it is said that the burden on the owner can be reduced.
In addition, a Nagoya city bus company has launched a “cat lovers bus tour”. You can enjoy cat cafe, cat motif bakery, and eye-catching cat painting experience.
The hotel in Osaka has put in place a plan where you can telecommute while looking at a cat. You can work in a private room while looking at the cat through the glass.
The economic effects related to cats
How much is the economic effect “Nekonomics” related to cats? Kansai University Professor Emeritus Katsuhiro Miyamoto announced the estimate in March.
● Basic breeding costs, such as cat food and medical expenses.
● Consumption of cat photo books and related products.
● Trips to famous tourist destinations for cats and consumption related to cat cafes, etc.
Calculated from these costs and their domino effects … A total of 2,082.4 billion yen (2020).
Honorary Professor Miyamoto
“As the population becomes more concentrated in the city and the number of people moving into condos in the city center increases, cats that are relatively easy to keep in condos may be attracting attention. It seems that the reason for their popularity is that they don’t require any care or hassle. “
By the way, the estimated economic effect of dogs, “Inunomics”, is 2,899.5 billion yen. The simple sum of the economic effects of cats and dogs amounts to about 5 trillion yen.
“Pets are family”
The worrying thing about the increase in pets is that there is a risk that owners will abandon their pets. It shouldn’t be the case that I started saving it for cure due to crown disease but was stressed out from unfamiliar care and threw it away … but those cases are possible.
We interviewed the NPO “Tokyo Cat Guardian” in Tokyo, which is said to have started the operations of “Protective Cat Cafe” for the first time in Japan. This NPO participates in activities to accept “protected cats” from local governments and the general public.
Since 2008, this NPO has been conducting activities to transfer protected cats to individuals who wish to become “adoptive parents” after interviewing them. Recently, the number of people accepting cats as foster parents is increasing, and last year, in August alone, we transferred 122 cats, which is the largest number to date. On the other hand, at this NPO, there is a concern that some people may not be able to have pets due to the influence of the new crown.
“I think that the increase in transfers is due to the fact that people who have been interested in cats have started to have them because of the crown. The number of cats protected by easy abandonment is not increasing at this time. For example, I was hired at work and I am receiving inquiries due to financial reasons that I want to protect my pet because I cannot have pets in the new location. “
“If you are thinking about having a cat, I would like you to think carefully if you really can have it, depending on your age, financial situation and changes in your lifestyle. Even if you cannot have it, you can go to a cat cafe. There are also services as custodial volunteers, so you can interact with cats. Pets are a family that spends 15-20 years together, so think twice. “
Nekonomics is booming thanks to Corona, but pets are also part of the family they spend time with. I want to pet cute and healing pets for a long time.
Reporter of the Economic Department
Yukiyo nagano
Joined in 2011
After working at Gifu Broadcasting Station and Kagoshima Broadcasting Station, he is in his current position.
