Food MArketing & Technology In India CC for web-HIgh Res | Page 24

Feline Matter
CHANGING TRENDS
IN THE CAT INDUSTRY IN INDIA
By Saquib Pathan*
I
n 2019, the pet sector in India expanded
at the rate of 19 percent and crossed
the mark of INR 4.1 billion. India is
witnessing a tremendous change in the
cat sector owing to its young demography,
urbanisation and the rising disposable
income in the middle class. Th ere is an
increased inclination of people towards
keeping cats, given the urban scenario of
the nuclear family where a pet is seen as
completing the family or making the house
a home. Cats lower anxiety levels and reduce
stress in today’s hectic work schedules.
Hinduism has many animal deities which
are worshipped on a large scale. Th e Cat
Goddess, Shashti is the deity of vegetation
and reproduction and is believed to bestow
children and assist during childbirth.
Barren women desiring to conceive and
mothers seeking the protection of their
children worship Shashti and request her
blessings and aid.
Even the Ramayana and the Mahabharata
reiterate the involvement of cats with the
human society. Superstitions are quite
prevalent in our society even today, however
the perception around the cats is changing
steadily. Earlier cats were considered as
a bad omen. As our cities grow, cats have
become an ideal pet.
Space is a huge concern in the metropolitan
cities and this makes cats convenient pets
as they require less space. In comparison to
bigger animals like dogs, cats don’t require
walks and human attention. Cats are much
more suited for an apartment than dogs.
Cats provide a sense of companionship in
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Creature Companion | August 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 8 • Noida