The Pet Economy Is Booming Again
2025 Top 50 Pet KOL Rankings Reveal the Real Reason Behind the Buying Frenzy
Are you a cat person or a dog person? Around the world, birth rates continue to fall each year. At the same time, social media fatigue, growing competition, and daily stress are pushing more people to seek emotional comfort from their pets. According to Economic Daily News, data from Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture shows that a major shift began in 2018. That year, registered cats and dogs in Taiwan reached 193,000, officially surpassing the number of newborns at 181,000. By 2023, the gap had grown even wider, with new pet registrations reaching 1.7 times the number of newborn babies. The rising number of pet owners reflects a larger social trend: as people face increasing pressure and emotional exhaustion, companionship and emotional healing have become essential parts of modern life.
As the market continues to grow, the pet influencer industry is expanding rapidly as well. From sharing daily life with pets to educating about responsible pet care, different types of pet ìnluencers are attracting huge followings across social media platforms and YouTube. But for brands, pet Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are no longer just another source of online traffic.
Social Pressure and Digital Fatigue Are Fueling the Emotional Economy
According to Marketers Go, “As pets become core members of the family, the pet economy is evolving from a market driven by practical needs into one powered by emotional connection.”
Today’s consumers value authenticity and emotional engagement more than ever. Pet influencer accounts that consistently share real daily moments and build long-term trust with followers are proving to have stronger credibility and higher conversion potential in brand partnerships. They have also become key partners in building word-of-mouth marketing.
Based on the AIE Influencer Evaluation Database, AsiaKOL has compiled the 2025 Pet KOL Ranking. This report also explores how different influencer strategies help brands achieve their goals in trust building, viral reach, and memorable brand storytelling.
Cats vs. Dogs: Urban Living and Small Homes Are Driving the Rise of the Cat Economy
According to this year’s Pet KOL Ranking, cat and dog-related accounts each make up roughly half of the top 20 influencer accounts. The overall balance shows that both “cat lovers” and “dog lovers” currently hold equal influence across social media.
However, while the number of accounts is similar, cat-focused creators clearly dominate the top positions in the ranking. In fact, most of the top five spots are taken by cat accounts, showing stronger overall performance compared to dog-focused creators. Although these results do not directly prove whether the public prefers cat or dog content, they do suggest that cat-related accounts have stronger long-term stability and wider viral potential when it comes to building social media influence.
Note: The full Top 100 KOL list is available through the form at the end of the article.
Looking at broader pet ownership trends, this shift is not happening by chance. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture and its 2023 survey report, Latest Estimates of Household Dog and Cat Ownership in Taiwan, the number of pet dogs increased by 19% compared to the previous year, while the estimated number of pet cats surged by 50%.
This difference is closely tied to lifestyle and living conditions. Compared to dogs, which usually require more outdoor activities and companionship time, cats generally have a quieter and more independent lifestyle. As urbanization and smaller living spaces become more common, cats fit more naturally into modern living due to their lower space requirements and reduced need for outdoor activity.
This trend is also reflected in consumer spending. According to the latest sales data from major e-commerce platforms and pet retailers, cat products officially surpassed dog products in online pet sales during the second half of 2025, becoming the largest category in the pet e-commerce market.
From Brand Building to Emotional Companionship: Four Key Types of Pet KOL Influence in 2025
Based on the 2025 Pet KOL Ranking, Taiwan’s pet creators can be grouped into four main categories:
Type 1 | Brand-Driven Creators
These accounts have strong and consistent brand identities. Their content style, visual language, and account positioning are highly unified, making them operate more like full-scale brands than individual creators.
Representative Accounts: Lady Flavor, Fumeancats
Type 2 | Cross-Field Creators
The main influence of these accounts comes from the creators themselves, while pets play an important supporting role rather than being the sole focus. Their content often spans multiple topics and platforms.
Representative Accounts: HOOK, Annie72127
Type 3 | Emotional Companion Creators
These pet KOLs focus on creating a sense of companionship through daily-life content. Their posting style is steady, calming, and emotionally comforting, helping followers build long-term emotional connections.
Representative Accounts: Soybean Milk, Nana_aleng
Type 4 | Strong Character Persona Creators
These accounts stand out because the pets are given highly recognizable personalities or character settings, making them memorable and entertaining to audiences.
Representative Accounts: Corgimango, Unicatto
According to sales case studies shared by Amazon sellers, today’s pet owners no longer treat shopping as a one-time transaction. From price comparison and in-store experiences to the final purchase decision, the entire buying journey has become a process of continuous interaction. Every touchpoint, including emotional storytelling, visual presentation, and sensory experience, can influence a consumer’s final decision and brand preference.
For this reason, brands should focus on choosing the right type of pet KOL based on their product positioning and core selling points, rather than simply chasing high traffic or popularity. Collaborating with creators whose audience and content naturally match the brand often leads to stronger conversions and more sustainable word-of-mouth marketing.
Selling the Same Product — Why Are They More Popular? A Closer Look at How Pet KOL Sponsorships Really Work
The marketing value of pet KOLs goes far beyond pet food and pet supplies. Because pets are deeply integrated into daily life, their content naturally connects with many lifestyle categories, including home living, travel, and household appliances. This makes pet creators powerful tools for brands looking to create relatable and emotionally engaging marketing scenarios.
Study 1 | Home Appliances × HOOK
Known for her history background and adventurous personality, HOOK is a self-proclaimed cat lover who is also willing to interact with dogs. In one collaboration, she simply shared a few casual photos along with personal stories about her allergy-prone condition. By naturally connecting her personal experience to the use of an air purifier, she successfully introduced the product’s benefits in a relatable way. The relaxed interaction, authentic storytelling, and approachable image made it easy for followers to imagine themselves using the product in everyday life — attracting attention without feeling overly promotional.
▲ Hook’s Instagram
Case Study 2 | Nana_aleng × Travel
Pet influencer account Nana_aleng is known for sharing travel experiences through warm, everyday storytelling. From lunch spots and dinner plans to pet-friendly accommodations, the creators personally visit and introduce different locations while showcasing the design, environment, and facilities. Combined with natural interactions between the pets and their owners, the content creates a strong sense of “traveling together,” allowing viewers to emotionally picture themselves joining the experience. Rather than simply watching a recommendation, audiences gradually build emotional desire and curiosity, making the content far more persuasive and increasing the likelihood of real visits and purchases.
▲Nana_aleng’s Instagram
YouTube APAC Communications Manager Tu Nguyen once noted in an interview that recent pet KOL trends show creators increasingly using voiceovers, subtitles, and visual effects to give pets stronger personalities and more human-like characteristics. This helps deepen emotional connections between audiences and the content.
For brands, online popularity alone does not guarantee actual sales conversion. The real key is not whether the product is directly related to pets, but whether pet KOL content can create authentic, emotionally engaging situations that feel naturally connected to daily life. This is what helps brands build long-term trust and positive consumer perception.
AsiaKOL combines professional data analysis with extensive marketing experience to provide project-based consulting services for brands. From influencer selection and creative planning to campaign execution and performance tracking, the company offers full-service support through a dedicated professional team.
Brands interested in learning more about AsiaKOL’s influencer marketing strategies are encouraged to get in touch and explore new ways to create meaningful and effective influencer campaigns.
Conclusion: From Short-Term Exposure to Long-Term Content Partnerships
For brands today, choosing a pet KOL is no longer just about gaining short-term visibility. It is about building an ongoing content partnership that allows brands to continuously connect with consumers. When collaborations are built on authentic daily moments and long-term trust, the influence of pet KOLs becomes more than temporary attention, it grows into lasting brand value over time.
