Expert warns that DINK families who devote too much to raising their pets may have negative psychological effects when the animals die. (Photo: GT/Li Hao)
Many modern Chinese couples choosing to raise animals instead of children
When 31-year-old Tianjin finance worker Feng Jie (pseudonym) and his wife decided they never wanted to have children eight years ago, they always envisioned that they would have pets.
Six years later, they finally felt economically secure enough to fulfill their wish, buying a Shih Tzu "teddy bear" puppy, which they named Kehe.
"Although my wife and I had a good relationship before [Kehe came into our lives], we would sometimes fight and quarrel," said Feng. "But raising him has brought us so much happiness that it has improved our relationship and even changed our lifestyle."
Families like Feng's are now commonly known in China as dingchong jiating - "DINK (dual income, no kids) families with pets."
In 2012, the Zhanjiang Daily reported that there were already about 600,000 DINK families in China - many among which chose to raise pets instead of children.
The importance of pets to their owners, both those with and without kids, can be seen in how much is spent on them. In 2013, the People's Daily reported that every year Beijingers spent an estimated 400 million yuan ($64.49 million) on their pets, and residents in Shanghai 600 million yuan. Last year, Chinese magazine Money Weekly reported that it costs on average 100,000 yuan to raise a medium to large-sized dog over the course of its lifetime.
Feng acknowledged that it was not cheap to raise a pet, but said it was money well spent.
"We used to be otaku, a Japanese term describing people who prefer to stay home than to go out and socialize, but Kehe pushes us to go out for exercise," said Feng. "I'm preparing for the driving license test and will buy a car this year, so I will take [Kehe] to the outskirts [of Tianjin] to play."
Social pressure and discrimination
DINK families and DINK families with pets often face pressure and discrimination in Chinese society, which remains influenced by Confucian thinking wherein child-rearing occupies a central place of importance.
When the government relaxed regulations on its one-child policy in August 2013, allowing some families to have a second child, there was an uproar of discontent among sections of young people on social media, with many saying that they would now face even more pressure than before to have children.
Typical of the sentiments expressed were comments like the one left on Sina Weibo by a user under the name of Hins-Xuan, who said she belonged to a DINK family with pets.
"Should people who have DINK families with pets like me simply be executed?"
Feng said his decision to have a DINK family with pets often led to accusations of selfishness, with his parents among those who objected strongly to his chosen lifestyle.
But Feng said he was firm in his decision. "Unlike children, pets will always be dependent on you and they will never find fault with you," he said. "But children, who will grow up one day, eventually come to see their parents' shortcomings. I can't accept this."
One of the most heartwarming memories he has of Kehe, Feng said, was the way he would lie on Feng's slippers rather than sleeping in his kennel during the winter.
Feng also disagreed with the traditional belief that it was in one's self-interest to have children, to look after him when he was old. He pointed out that such a way of thinking no longer made sense in the modern world, where many children move to other cities to have their own lives after growing up.
While Feng admitted that he was still bothered by the social pressure to have children, he wouldn't change his mind.
"I won't let [society] influence my beliefs," he said. "Minorities always exist in society, and we're the minority."
