Japanese People and Cats(3) The reasons for the preference for cats in Japan are as follows. The first cause is aging. As of 2022, Japan has 20 million seniors aged 75 and over, comprising 15% of the population. There are 12 million people over the age of 80, which is 10 percent. To keep a dog, one have to take it out for a walk every day, and as people get older, they feel more physically strained. On the other hand, cats don't really like to walk. They are also smaller than dogs, making them easier to care for. Choosing cats as pets is a global phenomenon, not only in Japan but also around the world, as the elderly population increases. However, in the case of Japan, the proportion of cats has increased remarkably due to the rapid advance in the aging of the population. Second, the spread of single-person households is one cause. The percentage of single-person households in Japan increased from 32 percent in 2010 to 38 percent in 2020. The number of single-person households is still increasing. For single-person householders who have to go to work and take care of their pets, it is much easier to raise cats than dogs. Cats hide their waste (defecation) well without any training and don't mess up the house. Cats also feel much less separation anxiety than dogs. So one can feel safe even if they leave his cat alone and go to work.