Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-02-10 Origin: Site
In recent years, the pet economy track has continued to segment. From traditional small pets such as hamsters and rabbits to reptile pets like geckos and lizards, more and more niche pets have entered public view, becoming a new choice for emotional companionship.
Driven by consumption upgrading and diversified pet concepts, a market with a scale of nearly 10 billion yuan is quietly emerging. The popularity of these niche cute pets is not only a change in consumption trends, but also a reflection of contemporary people’s life attitudes and emotional needs.
So, why are small and exotic pets becoming increasingly popular? What are the new characteristics of pet owners’ consumption channels? And what are the differences in user preferences among different categories?
Where Does the Growth Momentum Come From?
Why Has Online Channel Become the Core of Consumption?
What Are the Differences in Consumption Among Segmented Categories?
According to the latest data, in the first three quarters of 2025 alone, the total sales volume of the small and exotic pet market in Chinese mainland has exceeded 9 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate of 12.2%, showing a strong growth momentum and becoming a highly potential segmented field in the pet industry. It is estimated that the overall market scale of small pets in China will reach about 11 billion yuan in 2025, with the online consumption market accounting for 12%, a significant increase from 9% in 2024, and its growth rate is higher than that of the overall pet market.
The momentum driving market growth mainly comes from three aspects:
On the one hand, young groups have become the main force. Generation Z and young white-collar workers mostly pursue individuality and are willing to try new things. Categories such as hamsters and geckos, with their characteristics of "high appearance, easy feeding and strong interaction", perfectly fit their consumption preferences. Among small pet owners, mammal pet owners account for about 45%, of which more than 80% keep rodents (rats) and rabbits; bird pet owners account for about 34%, with parrots as the mainstream breeding variety; reptile pet owners account for about 21%, with turtles and geckos as the popular breeding categories, accounting for more than half.
On the other hand, urban life has spawned the need for companionship. For renters and office workers, small and exotic pets occupy little space and have relatively low feeding costs, which are suitable for the fast-paced urban life with small living space. Meanwhile, young "tech otakus" who pay attention to emotional value and feeding convenience have also become an important part of the group, and their consumption tends to be downgraded, with increasing willingness to consume landscaping supplies and medicines.
At the same time, relevant pet content has been widely spread on social platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, and public acceptance has been continuously improved, boosting the continuous expansion of the market scale. There are obvious differences in the seeding platforms preferred by consumers of different categories: rodents prefer Douyin and Xiaohongshu, while Bilibili accounts for a prominent proportion among reptile lovers.
In terms of purchasing channels, more than 70% of consumers regard e-commerce/social platforms as their preferred consumption channels, and online platforms have become the absolute mainstream.
E-commerce platforms: With the advantages of rich commodities, transparent prices and convenient distribution, they have become the main position for most consumers to purchase standardized commodities such as staple food, supplies and bedding. Especially in the small pet live animal trading, it is easier to complete the full-process consumption closed loop.
Social platforms: Content platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou and Xiaohongshu have become important channels for seeding and purchasing through daily pet-raising sharing, graphic notes, live streaming with goods and other forms, highlighting the characteristics of "content-driven consumption".
Offline channels: Pet stores, flower and bird markets, relying on visibility and availability, meet the needs of some users to choose pets on site, and provide experience, consultation and services at the same time, forming a complement to online channels. Among them, flower and bird markets are more relied on by bird lovers to meet the needs of selecting live animals and professional consultation.
Within the small and exotic pet market, user portraits and consumption preferences of different segmented categories show obvious differences.
Rodents (hamsters, rabbits, etc.): With low feeding threshold and strong interactivity, they attract a large number of young women who keep pets for the first time. Consumption is highly concentrated on online platforms, with high repurchase rates of consumables such as staple food and bedding, and relatively affordable prices. Rodent pet owners prefer to buy grain-based staple food and molar snacks; outdoor cages have gradually become a popular pet-raising configuration, and the popularity of landscaping supplies remains high, with modular products that can be freely combined and changed in layout being more favored. Rabbit owners prefer to buy herbal staple food, grass cakes and grass sticks, and the consumption of rabbit cage decoration supplies is on the risesuperscript.
Birds (parrots, munias, etc.): With prominent ornamental and interactive features, users are mainly middle-aged groups and traditional enthusiasts. They rely more on offline flower and bird markets to meet the needs of selecting live animals and professional consultation, and their consumption includes both live animals and daily supplies. Birds are extending towards "exquisite companionship", and their demand for supplies is more diversified. Among them, hand-raised parrots are popular, and pet owners are more willing to adopt young birds within 7 weeks of birth.
