宠物经济Chǒngwù jīngjìThe Pet Economy

My friend Xiaoyu has no children, but she keeps a cat — the money she spends on the cat each month is even more than what she spends on herself for food.

The cat food has to be imported, the toys get replaced every month, and even the cat litter has to be an imported brand.

Last month the cat caught a cold, and just one visit to the pet hospital cost more than two thousand yuan.

Xiaoyu said: "When a person gets sick and goes to the hospital, it doesn't necessarily cost this much money, but when the cat gets sick, I can't cut corners."

There are more and more people like Xiaoyu, and in recent years the term "pet economy" has also become more and more common.

Data shows that China has more than one hundred million pet cats and dogs, and the related market can reach hundreds of billions of yuan a year.

From pet food and pet hospitals to pet photography and pet insurance, almost every industry is serving pets.

Some people feel it's a waste of money, but to Xiaoyu, the cat has long been family — not as simple as just being a pet.

She said: "It can't talk, but it keeps me company — no amount of money can buy this kind of companionship."