In a quiet pet care home in Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture, a 16-year-old Labrador named Sarasa rests on a specially designed nursing bed. Paralysis has taken away her ability to stand or eat on her own. Care workers gently change her pads, prepare softened meals, and support her through every detail of daily life.
Sarasa’s owner—a senior who lives alone—tried for years to care for her aging dog. But as her own strength faded, she entrusted Sarasa to professionals, visiting regularly to offer companionship.
Scenes like this reveal a profound transformation underway in Japan: as the population ages, so do their pets. And when humans and animals enter the late stages of life together, familiar caregiving models begin to crumble. New questions about welfare, responsibility, resources, and ethics are emerging across society.
1. When People and Pets Grow Old Together: A New Care Dilemma
For many Japanese seniors, pets are not merely companions—they are emotional anchors. This makes aging especially complicated.
Photographer Narina Onishi once described his elderly Shiba Inu, “Ikkyu,” as a warm beam of light that illuminated the calm years of his later life. But as Ikkyu approached 15, his body weakened, his gait stiffened, and dementia-like symptoms appeared. Onishi’s reflection—“Whatever happens, I want to stay with him until his very last moment”—echoes the sentiment of countless older pet owners.
Demographic data intensifies the picture. According to the Japanese Cabinet Office, nearly half of people in their 50s keep pets. Even among those aged 70 and above, one in four still lives with an animal companion. At the same time, pets are living longer than ever: the Japan Pet Food Association reports an average lifespan of 14.9 years for dogs and nearly 16 years for cats.
Longevity is a blessing—until old age catches up with both sides. Medical expenses for a 15-year-old dog now average 245,600 yen per year, equivalent to roughly a month’s pension for many seniors. And with 29.3% of Japan’s population already over 65, the care needs of elderly owners and their elderly pets increasingly overlap.
Traditional caregiving systems cannot keep pace. When an elderly person with cognitive decline is hospitalized, their pet may experience anxiety, refuse food, or develop aggressive behaviors. Conversely, seniors caring for incontinent or immobile pets often lack the physical and financial capacity to cope.
This overlap has led to a sharp rise in pet abandonment. Across 129 major cities in 2023, over half of abandoned dogs and one-third of abandoned cats were linked to elderly owners who became too ill to care for them. These animals, suffering behavioral stress or roaming unsupervised, are creating new challenges for urban management and welfare organizations.
2. Creating a Good Old Age for Pets: Japan’s Expanding Care Models
To address this growing crisis, a number of specialized pet nursing homes have emerged. Facilities like Sarasa’s offer multi-tiered rooms for pets who can still walk, partially disabled pets, and bedridden animals.
Meals are individually weighed and prepared, with softened food for those who struggle to chew, and supplements for pets at risk of dementia. Care workers assist with feeding, mobility, rehabilitation, and even wheel-aided walking devices.
Yet not all seniors are willing to place their pets in institutions. Many older Japanese firmly believe pets are family members and wish to care for them until their dying moment—regardless of declining mobility.
This demand has pushed local governments and private operators to experiment with new solutions. Some nursing homes now reserve entire floors for residents with pets. One such facility in Kawasaki allows animals in 19 of its 30 rooms, complete with grooming services, dog-training specialists, cameras, pet doors, and odor-control systems.
A more advanced model can be found at Sakura no Sato Sanatorium in Yokosuka, built in 2012. Certain living units allow residents to continue living with their cats or dogs, while others welcome seniors who no longer have pets but wish to share their daily lives with rescued animals. Here, animals receive full-life care—independent of the owner’s health or lifespan—ensuring stability for both humans and pets.
This integrated “human–pet communal living” model reflects a broader shift: aging residents are not merely tolerated with their pets; they are supported in a structured ecosystem designed for mutual well-being.
3. The Rise of Japan’s Silver Pet Economy
Japan’s aging population has given birth to a unique sector known as the silver pet economy—an industry focused on the needs of senior pets and the senior citizens who care for them.
The pet market reached 868.1 billion yen in 2024, with spending increasingly concentrated on elderly animals. Demand spans every stage of life care:
• Specialized senior pet foods
Sales of functional diets—supporting joint health, digestion, cognitive function—have surged. High-end formulas with glucosamine, hydrolyzed proteins, or DHA dominate shelves, with buyers over 55 showing the strongest willingness to spend.
• Medical and rehabilitative care
As chronic illnesses like diabetes and kidney disease increase, so do costs for insulin, dialysis, CT scans, MRI imaging, and physical therapy. Hydrotherapy and rehabilitation centers for pets are becoming mainstream.
• Professional nursing supplies
Products like orthopedic cushions, anti-bedsore mats, and assistive walking frames (such as the “Lila Cushion” used by an elderly Shiba Inu) have become common in households and care facilities.
• End-of-life and memorial services
Japan’s pet funeral sector has evolved beyond simple cremation. New trends include:
- biodegradable urns and eco-friendly burials
- 3D-printed memorial objects and gemstone-grade memorial diamonds
- VR farewell rooms
- AI-based “digital immortality” avatars that help owners process grief
These services emphasize emotional continuity, reflecting how deeply integrated pets have become in Japanese family structures.
4. What Japan’s Experience Signals for the Future
Japan’s “aging with pets” phenomenon is not merely a cultural curiosity; it is a preview of challenges other aging societies will soon face.
As the boundaries between human welfare and animal welfare blur, care systems must adapt. Housing design, social services, insurance products, and medical infrastructure will all need to account for senior pets and senior owners as a single caregiving unit.
The rise of the silver pet economy further suggests that future pet markets will not be defined by cute accessories or luxury treats, but by lifespan-long, humane, and emotionally intelligent services.
In the end, Japan’s evolving landscape tells a simple truth:
A society’s attitude toward aging pets reveals its deeper values toward aging people.
How a community cares for the animals who have quietly shared its residents’ lives speaks volumes about compassion, dignity, and the meaning of companionship itself.