Japanese People and Cats(5) Finally, it seems that Japanese characteristics match with cats rather than with dogs. According to Sankei Shimbun, Japanese people who value self-reliance are more attracted to independent cats than to loyal dogs. The coolness of cats is more suitable for those who dislike interference and prefer to maintain a certain distance from people close to them. With dogs, they need to take walks and socialize with other dogs. Owning a dog requires some socializing, which is not suitable for passive and introverted Japanese individuals. In Korea, last year, there were 2.7 times more families with dogs than with cats. But the gap is getting narrower. During the year, the number of dogs increased by only 5%, while the number of cats increased by 13%. On SNS platforms like Instagram, posts about cats have already exceeded those about dogs. Korea, like Japan, is aging its population, and the number of single-person households continues to increase. Therefore, in Korea, it is only a matter of time before the number of cats exceeds the number of dogs. The number of cats is also increasing in Europe, where it has been said for hundreds of years that cats are Satan's animals living with witches. In France, where dogs had been loved very much, there are now 14 million cats, nearly twice as many as dogs. A Japanese novelist says, "Cats protect themselves strongly while staying alone, and anyone who can feel the beauty of silence cannot help but love cats." Maybe human life and cat life are becoming more and more alike. People want to be personal and independent, rather than living in a bunch. Humans, who are becoming lonelier, seem to choose cats as pets for many reasons.