This Year, Single-Person Households Expected to Exceed 30%
Average Time Pets Spend Alone in Single-Person Households: 8.2 Hours Daily
Experts Say "How to Care for Pets Is Key"
As the number of single-person households has increased recently, the number of households raising pets is also growing. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] "Isn't it all just human greed?"
A office worker A (27), who owns a pet dog, said, "I know that pets waiting for their owners for 7 to 8 hours experience tremendous stress. Also, raising them in a small space like a studio apartment seems like mistreating the animal," adding, "I have a negative view on raising pets in single-person households." A added, "I live with a dog, but if I didn't have family, I wouldn't even dare to do it."
As the number of single-person households increases recently, the number of households raising pets is also rising. However, in single-person households, pets inevitably spend a lot of time alone, which has sparked controversy.
According to Statistics Korea, the proportion of single-person households increased from 15% in 2000 to 29% last year. Starting this year, the share of single-person households is expected to exceed 30%, nearly doubling in 20 years.
Along with this, the number of single-person households owning pets has also been increasing annually.
According to a survey conducted by Seoul City in 2018, which asked 1,000 citizens about pet ownership status, the proportion of households owning pets was 20.0% in 2018.
Also, households with dogs showed a similar distribution regardless of housing type or number of household members, but cats were more commonly found in single-person households or rented households.
The problem lies in the inadequate care of pets in single-person households.
According to a survey conducted last year by Job Korea and Albamon targeting 831 office workers who own pets, the most difficult aspect of living with pets was "feeling sorry for the animal being alone after going to work" (69.3%). When asked if pets are left alone at home after the owner leaves for work, 93.2% of single-person households and 66.0% of multi-person households answered "yes."
The average time pets spend alone per day was 8.2 hours for single-person households and 8.0 hours for multi-person households, averaging about 8 hours.
As a result, concerns have been raised that raising pets who are prone to loneliness alone might be a form of abuse, leading to divided opinions among citizens.
Some voices criticize, saying, "Many people raise pets recklessly without the capacity," "Isn't this a kind of abuse too?" and "Most single-person households wouldn't even consider raising pets if there were pet taxes."
Office worker B (26) said, "Even if it's a single-person household, if they work from home or are freelancers and can spend a lot of time with their pets, I think it's fine," but added, "However, thinking about a typical single-person office worker, raising pets seems very self-centered and selfish."
B said, "I also thought about getting a pet, but if I leave for work in the morning, wouldn't the pet be waiting for me alone at home?" and added, "If I work overtime or attend company dinners, I wouldn't even have time to walk or be with the pet, which seems like a kind of abuse, so I gave up."
Housewife C in her 40s said, "Raising a living being is no ordinary task. It costs a lot of money, but I see too many people bringing pets home recklessly," adding, "If pet taxes were imposed, I think irresponsible people like that might decrease."
On the other hand, university student D (27) said, "I don't think being single means you can't raise pets," and added, "There are many friends around me who live alone but raise pets well." D continued, "I oppose raising pets just because of loneliness, but there are definitely pet owners who do their best even while living alone. Ultimately, it's a personal choice," showing a positive response.
Experts analyzed that the issue depends on how pets are cared for.
Professor Kim Seongho of the Department of Social Welfare at Korea Bible University said, "Certainly, many single-person households have little time to spend with their pets," but pointed out, "On the other hand, there are elderly people living alone who have plenty of time. However, many of them also lack knowledge on how to properly raise pets and need social support."
Professor Kim said, "Therefore, single-person households cannot be seen as a problem per se," and advised, "Even if pets are alone, providing enrichment activities to reduce stress before leaving can be one method." He added, "The spread of a pet-friendly culture, such as bringing pets to work, is also important."
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