Are Single Young Adults Secretly Keeping Reptiles as Pets? The Hottest Lifestyle Trend of 2025 Revealed

As 2025 kicks off, a “cold-blooded pet craze” is sweeping China’s younger generation—a new must-have for singles: pets that don’t need to be walked.

“Cats need to be played with, dogs need to be walked, but with a snake, all you need to do is feed it a mouse once a week.” Xiao Yu, a young woman living in Shanghai, has a corn snake coiled peacefully on her hand. This docile species requires only eight minutes of daily care, yet it provides a source of emotional stability for those working the grueling 996 work schedule.
The *2025 China Pet Industry White Paper* reveals startling figures: the number of exotic pet owners in China has surpassed 17 million, with 51.6% keeping snakes and 48.8% keeping geckos, and the overall market size is approaching 10 billion.

When it comes to pet consumption, the influence of single people cannot be underestimated. In the past, people might have kept pets simply to ensure they were “fed,” but now, the “singles economy” is constantly expanding the boundaries of pet consumption, with more and more people seeking to ensure their pets “eat well.” Moreover, the number of pet owners continues to rise. In the past, the traditional notion that “raising children provides for one’s old age” was the norm, but now, as the single population grows, “pet companionship” has become a new way of preparing for old age.

The “singles economy” has also had a significant impact on the e-commerce industry, creating new opportunities for reptile sales. A report from the JD Big Data Research Institute shows that in 2024, single-serving hot pot bases were a huge hit on Douyin, with nearly 300 million bags sold in total. This trend reflects single consumers’ demand for convenience, personalization, and quality.

The same holds true for reptile pets; many single people purchase reptiles and related supplies through e-commerce platforms. They hope to easily find a variety of unique products online that suit their pets, such as creatively designed terrariums and nutrient-rich specialized feed.

The rich and diverse selection on e-commerce platforms meets their personalized needs, eliminating the need to scour brick-and-mortar pet stores for niche products.
Driven by the “singles economy,” the new retail market for pets has grown at a remarkable pace, and reptiles have emerged as a prominent segment in this trend. Although reptile food currently accounts for a relatively small share of the market, it is gradually gaining traction.

The younger generation of singles values emotional fulfillment and quality of life; they are willing to spend more on their pets and strive to provide them with better dietary experiences—and reptile owners are no exception.

When young people are willing to spend 10,000 yuan on an ecological tank for a snake or half a month’s salary on a birthday celebration for a gecko, traditional models of emotional consumption are crumbling. This isn’t merely a subculture breaking through—it’s the ultimate antidote to the “loneliness economy.” Keeping reptiles as pets may well offer the most intense emotional compensation in this age of anxiety.