A catalyst including cobalt, a carrier including silica, and a selective promoter including zirconium. The cobalt and the selective promoter are disposed on the surface of the carrier, and the outer surfaces of the active component cobalt and the selective promoter zirconium are coated with a shell layer including a mesoporous material. A method for preparing the catalyst, including: 1) soaking the carrier including silica into an aqueous solution including a zirconium salt, aging, drying, and calcining a resulting mixture to yield a zirconium-loaded carrier including silica; 2) soaking the zirconium-loaded carrier including silica into an aqueous solution including a cobalt salt, aging, drying, calcining a resulting mixture to yield a primary cobalt-based catalyst; 3) preparing a precursor solution of a mesoporous material; and 4) soaking the primary cobalt-based catalyst into the precursor solution of the mesoporous material; and crystalizing, washing, drying, and calcining a resulting mixture.