The Spin on Feline Care: Why Cats Deserve More

Dogs may be the most beloved companion in the U.S., but does that mean they should get all the attention? According to the American Pet Products Association, 65.1 million households have a dog, while 46.5 million have a furry feline friend. Despite this, when it comes to innovation in the pet care category, dogs seem to get all the love. This may not sit well with cat lovers and the founder of cat-sitting app Meowtel, Sonya Petcavich.

When Petcavich’s beloved cat Lily passed away in 2015, she couldn’t help but reflect on her own shortcomings as a cat mom. Her busy job as a saleswoman for Philip Morris often kept her away from home, and she realized that finding adequate cat sitting services was a challenge. This inspired her to create a platform specifically for cats and their unique needs.

“There needs to be a service for cat people specifically; they have very different needs,” Petcavich told TechCrunch.

Thus, Meowtel was born. With $100,000 of her own money and a dedicated developer team, Petcavich launched the app in 2015. Unlike other pet-sitting services, Meowtel exclusively hires individuals with direct experience in caring for cats, including administering medication and tending to special needs. Prospective sitters must also undergo a rigorous six-step process, including a 30-minute call with the Meowtel team to verify their identities.

Petcavich jokingly noted that it’s easier to get into Harvard than it is to become a Meowtel sitter. Despite operating in stealth mode since its inception, the company has grown significantly. In fact, Meowtel is profitable and boasts a 50% year-over-year increase in gross booking volume revenue. With a network of over 2,200 sitters, the company has completed over 95,000 sitting requests, primarily in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. However, Meowtel is now expanding its reach to smaller cities as well.

Despite its success, Meowtel has only raised just under $1 million in venture capital. Of that amount, $500,000 came from angel investors, including Jason Calacanis’ Launch and Elizabeth Yin, a general partner at Hustle Fund. The company has also participated in accelerator programs such as Tech Wildcatters and Sputnik ALX. According to Petcavich, while raising funds from venture capitalists was a challenge due to the industry’s bias towards dogs, the marketplace business model of Meowtel made it a good fit for VCs.

However, Petcavich is not wrong in her observation that the pet industry seems to be heavily focused on dogs. While there are various startups catering to better dog food, accessories, and even health, there are relatively few ventures aimed specifically at cats. For example, the UK-based dog food company Butternut Box raised over $466 million in VC funding, while dog oncology startup ImpriMed secured $23 million and smart dog collar company Fi received over $40 million. In comparison, feline-focused Fresh pet food company Smalls is one of the few VC-backed companies in the category, with a total of $19 million raised.

“In the era of 2020, there is a brand that caters to every specific type of audience that exists,” Petcavich stated. “These species are different, but no one is making that distinction. It’s the psychology of the cat owner and the unique medical needs of cats that created a gap in the market for Meowtel to fill.“

So, does the pet care market truly need a service exclusively for cats? According to Petcavich, the answer is a resounding yes. With its current success and projected growth, Meowtel’s success seems to confirm this. As Petcavich puts it, “Pets are not a one-size-fits-all category, and it’s time to give cats the attention and care they deserve.”