Filling the kitty

Compared to pets like lizards and fish, which can survive in smaller spaces and require minimal daily interaction, cats and dogs are more active and need care, companionship and room to exercise, all of which have contributed to the rapid rise in pet care services.

Animal boarding services are in strong demand as more pet owners are willing to dig deep into their pockets for a quality environment for their furry companions.

According to corporate information provider Qichacha, more than 2,000 pet boarding businesses have opened in the past three years.

Some pet services also offer to monitor the health status of animals and allow them to roam and exercise daily, which eases the anxiety of some overly protective owners.

Wang Can, who heads operations at the Maotuotuo Hotel in Fangzhuang neighborhood, Fengtai district, Beijing, said their pet accommodation was fully booked three months before Spring Festival.

Her company has five venues exclusively for cats. The Fangzhuang one has 29 rooms of three different sizes, with daily accommodation prices for one cat ranging from 39 to 179 yuan.

"We are located in a quiet neighborhood away from the street chaos, and all of the rooms are separate and offer wooden furniture and DOAS(dedicated outdoor air systems)," Wang said, admitting that their target clients are not penny-pinchers.

The other four facilities, located in busy business hubs or densely populated residential areas, were also fully booked during Spring Festival.

"Most customers have signed up for membership and often seek our services when they have to leave home," Wang said.

"They can only stand to leave their cats alone for two to three days, and consider them in danger if it gets any longer," she added.

Many owners have a deep emotional attachment to their pets and some check around the clock with the hotel on their cat's welfare, Wang said.

In addition to regularly feeding the felines, giving them water and cleaning up their cat litter, employees play with them four times a day. If the feline has a health emergency, hotel staff must respond within 20 minutes, even if it's in the middle of the night.

Pet owners can also use their smartphones to view their pets in the hotel and can make requests for additional snacks and special dietary requirements, Wang said.

The hotel has more than 1,000 members, most of whom were born in the 1980s and 1990s. Wang stressed that the cats must have all the necessary vaccination certificates, be in good health, and recently dewormed to be accepted at their pet hotels. "This is to cut the risks of it (the pet) getting sick," Wang said.