China is driving a major evolution in the Asia Pacific's pet industry, shifting from basic manufacturing to advanced, AI-powered smart pet care, as showcased at Pet Fair Asia 2026 held in Shanghai from Wednesday to Sunday.
Featured products included facial-recognition feeders, health-tracking litter boxes, and remote monitoring devices -- innovations increasingly embraced by tech-savvy younger generations to manage their pets' wellness.
"Our intelligent system leverages AI algorithms for cat facial recognition and provides tailored daily feeding recommendations by using data on the cat's eating habits and how many grams of food it eats. Such smart devices significantly lower the barrier to cat ownership, perfectly meeting the current demand among young people for science-based pet care," said Chen Hongshang, product design manager at the Shanghai Lianchong Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd, a leading smart pet care brand in China.
According to the 2026 China Pet Industry White Paper, China's urban pet population reached 126 million in 2025, fueling a pet consumption market worth 312.6 billion yuan (about 45.4 billion U.S. dollars). The market is expected to expand further to 405 billion yuan by 2028.
This year's fair is the largest since it was launched in 1997. It gathered over 2,600 exhibitors from around the world to present their latest products and services across 17 indoor and 10 outdoor halls covering a combined area of 320,000 square meters.
The event has drawn over 500,000 visitors since its opening day.
Pet Fair Asia 2026 spotlights China's cutting-edge innovations for pet industry
