Taipei Expo 2023, which took place from 7 to 10 July, achieved remarkable results, including an unprecedented scale of 1,400 booths and 1,000 brands, as well as a record number of visits from celebrities. These phenomena show not only the prosperity of Taiwan’s pet industry, but also reflect the rise of the concept of animal welfare.
The Pet Show has always been dominated by dogs and cats, but this year a different trend could be seen in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening ceremony, where not only dogs and cats, but also portraits of rabbits, rats and hedgehogs were displayed on the ribbon-cutting ceremony. These three mammals are indeed the most popular pets other than dogs and cats and the authorities are determined to bring them under management, and in addition to compiling a Guide to Breeding for each of them, have promoted microchip injections for them.
The theme of long term care for pets has been on the pet show stage for the third year, and it can be understood that dogs and cats are living longer and longer under the careful care of their owners. According to a survey conducted in Taipei City, in 2011, the highest number of deaths of domestic dogs was reported by dogs between 8 and 12 years of age (accounting for 28.8%), followed by dogs between 12 and 16 years of age (accounting for 28.3%), and the percentage of dogs that died at the age of more than 16 years was also 10.4%. As dogs live longer, their chances of suffering from various illnesses also increase. How to provide proper care for their furry children in their twilight years has become a matter of concern for pet owners.
This year’s pet photo museum is specially named “Paradise for Body and Soul”, and the director of the museum has revealed the secret of making furry children live happily both physically and mentally. —- Happy furry parents will only have happy furry children! It reminds owners to take care of their own physical and mental health first.
The Pet Expo has also announced that a separate ‘World Cat Expo’ will be held at the same venue in October, so it looks like dogs and cats are destined to be separated! July is dominated by dogs at the Pet Expo, while October is an exclusive expo for cats, a development that echoes the latest statistics from the authorities. According to the Council of Agriculture, from 2017 to 2021, the number of domestic dogs in Taiwan will drop from 1,777,000 to 1,235,000, a decrease of about 40%, while the number of domestic cats will grow from 733,000 to 870,000, an increase of about 20%. Judging from the trend of breeding, it is only a matter of time before the number of domestic cats exceeds the number of domestic dogs. The early launch of cat expos by exhibition companies is only in line with the trend, while the authorities have prepared rabies vaccines without adjuvant for cats from this year to avoid allergy problems.
How should humans treat animals? The Pet Expo provides a basic course.