"My cats are incredibly smart, understanding things just like humans do," said Ma Li, owner of two cats aged 13 and 16 in Beijing.

马丽在北京拥有两只分别年届13岁和16岁的猫咪。她深情地表示：“我的猫儿们真是聪明绝顶，仿佛能理解人间百态。”

"Once, when I was criticizing my daughter, they stood between us, trying to de-escalate the conflict," Ma said.

回忆起一个温馨的场景，马丽笑着说：“有一次，在批评女儿时，我的猫咪们就站在我们中间，似乎想要调解这小小的冲突。”

Ma adopted her first black-and-white cat 16 years ago when she moved into her apartment at the age of 23.

时光荏苒，16年前，23岁的马丽搬入新居时，便收养了第一只黑白相间的猫咪。

"Every time I returned home after work, it would wait at the door to welcome me, easing my work pressure and making me feel wanted," she said.

她回忆道：“每当我下班回家，它总会守在门口，用它的方式欢迎我，让我一天的疲惫都烟消云散，感觉自己被深深需要。”

It didn't take her long to make the decision to have her second cat, a yellow-and-white variety.

不久之后，马丽又决定领养一只黄白相间的猫咪，成为家中的第二只宠物。

Though both cats are typical domesticated felines, their personalities vary, with the first being affectionate and the second being more reserved, she said. Despite not being rare breeds, she expressed her affection for them and showed her readiness to spend money on them.

虽然两者都是典型的家猫，但性格却大相径庭。第一只猫咪温顺亲切，而第二只则略显拘谨。尽管它们并非稀有品种，但马丽对它们的喜爱溢于言表，并愿意为它们倾注心血。

"I have a weakness for whatever benefits cats, and find myself even more generous with them than I am with myself," Ma said, while carrying four huge bags of pet supplies, including litter, food and toys.

马丽笑着说：“我有个弱点，那就是对猫咪总是特别慷慨，有时甚至比对自己还要大方。”她手上拎着四大袋宠物用品，包括猫砂、食物和玩具，足以证明这一点。

Confronted with heavy work pressure and isolation in an unfamiliar urban environment, Ma is one of those who find solace in raising pets, especially cats — a frequent phenomenon which has created a surge in house cat ownership in recent years.

在繁忙的工作和陌生的城市环境中，马丽是众多寻求宠物陪伴的人之一，而养猫则成为他们的首选。近年来，这种现象愈发普遍，养猫热潮席卷而来。

Liu Lang, deputy head of the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association, confirmed the trend, saying that people born in the 1980s and 1990s may prefer cats to dogs due to the former's lower maintenance.

中国兽医协会副会长刘朗也证实了这一趋势。他分析道：“对于上世纪八九十年代出生的人来说，养猫可能比养狗更受欢迎，因为养猫的成本相对较低。”

"The necessity of walking dogs discourages many urban dwellers, especially young and middle-aged individuals with demanding work schedules. Nevertheless, those with heavy workloads are prone to seek companionship. In this context, cats emerge as a preferable choice because of their lower need for space to roam and less frequent bathing requirements," Liu said.

他进一步解释：“遛狗的必要性让许多城市居民望而却步，尤其是那些工作繁忙的中青年人。然而，人们总是渴望陪伴，因此猫成为了一个理想的选择。它们对活动空间的要求不高，也不需要经常洗澡。”

In recent years, the number of pet cats has gradually exceeded that of pet dogs. According to Petdata.cn, a pet industry market observer, the number of pet cats in China reached 69.8 million last year, a 6.8 percent year-on-year increase, surpassing the number of pet dogs by 18.05 million.

近年来，宠物猫的数量逐渐超越了宠物狗。据宠物行业市场观察机构Petdata.cn的数据显示，去年中国宠物猫的数量已达到6980万只，同比增长6.8%，超过了宠物狗1805万只。

Zhang Haiqiang, secretary-general of the China Small Animal Protection Association, attributed the difference to the pets' living habits, as "the emotional value brought by raising cats and dogs is almost the same".

中国小动物保护协会秘书长张海强认为，这一差异主要源于宠物的生活习惯。他解释说：“养猫和养狗所带来的情感价值其实是相近的。”

Chen Haoxing, who owns three cats and a dog, said he finds potential pet owners can have more options when it comes to raising cats, as restrictions on raising dogs are tightening due to recent well-publicized biting incidents.

陈浩兴是一位养了三只猫和一只狗的宠物主人。他观察到，潜在的宠物主人在选择养猫方面拥有更多自由，因为近期频频报道的狗咬人事件导致养狗的限制日益严格。

Chen also mentioned the availability of hairless cats provides an option for those who are allergic to animal fur.

他还提到，无毛猫的出现为那些对动物皮毛过敏的人提供了另一种选择。

Some individuals discover the uniqueness of a cat's personality and find it fascinating. "I thought myself of a dog enthusiast because my family once had a wonderful dog when I was a kid. However, after three years with my first cat, I think I'm more of a cat fan," said a pet owner surnamed Li.

有些人则是因为发现了猫的独特个性而为之着迷。一位姓李的宠物主人分享道：“我曾认为自己是个狗迷，因为小时候家里养过一只很棒的狗。然而，与我的第一只猫相处三年后，我发现自己更像个猫奴了。”

Li's black-and-white cat is named Wuqian, or five thousand, as it incurred a 5,000 yuan ($691) expenditure for a half-month stay at the vet due to a health issue after being picked as a stray in the neighborhood. "Although Wuqian is not overly affectionate, I can sense the feelings between us. In the mornings, Wuqian comes over to snuggle for a while after I wake up, with its tail forming a hooked shape to express contentment. I appreciate this way of bonding, and I feel like I'm the more dependent one in the relationship. My cat has also taught me the importance of learning to say no and establishing boundaries in social interactions," she said.

李女士家的猫咪“五千”是一只黑白相间的流浪猫，因健康问题在宠物医院住了半个月，花费了5000元。虽然“五千”并不十分热情，但李女士却能感受到与它之间的深厚情感。清晨醒来，“五千”会过来依偎一会儿，尾巴呈钩状，表达着满足。李女士欣赏这种相处方式，并认为自己在这段关系中更为依赖它。她甚至表示，猫咪教会了她学会说“不”和在社交中建立界限的重要性。

Li found that most pet owners in her social circle raise dogs and cats — or just cats — citing "the captivating individuality of cats" as the reason.

在李女士的社交圈中，她发现大多数宠物主人都选择同时养猫和狗，或者只养猫。他们普遍认为：“猫的个性真的很迷人。”

"Being an avid animal lover, I'm open to the idea of raising dogs," she said. "But I prefer breeds with stable temperaments, such as Labs and Golden Retrievers, rather than breeds like Huskies and Poodles."

李女士笑着说：“作为一个热爱动物的人，我对养狗并不排斥。但我更喜欢那些性情温顺的犬种，如拉布拉多犬和金毛寻回犬，而不是像哈士奇和贵宾犬那样有个性的犬种。”

编辑 | ETTBL商务英语翻译

翻译｜Romola