Cat-sitting startup Meowtel is making money despite struggles with investors who prefer dog-related businesses. Founded in 2015 to help cat owners, Meowtel carefully selects sitters for quality care.
With over 2,200 sitters and 95,000 requests completed, the company is growing fast and branching out to smaller cities.
Cat-sitting startup Meowtel is making money despite struggles with investors who prefer dog-related businesses.PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images
Launching Meowtel
Meowtel has reached profitability despite difficulties raising funds from venture capitalists who typically favor dog-centric innovations.
According to the American Pet Products Association, dogs are the most popular pets in the US, with 65.1 million households owning one. While 46.5 million households have cats, much of the pet-related innovation has been dog-focused.
Even services that cater to both species tend to prioritize dogs. Sonya Petcavich, the founder of Meowtel, believes that cats and their owners deserve more dedicated services.
After her cat Lily passed away in 2015, Petcavich realized she might not have been the best cat owner due to her frequent work-related travels as a sales representative for Philip Morris. While aware of existing pet-sitting services, she felt they did not adequately cater to cats.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Petcavich said she recognized the unique needs of cat owners and saw a gap in the market, as existing services like Rover and Wag were predominantly dog-focused.
Motivated by her experiences and dedication as a cat enthusiast, she created a company specifically tailored for cats. She invested $100,000 from her own money, assembled a developer team, and launched Meowtel in 2015.
The startup is a marketplace where cat owners can find qualified cat sitters. Meowtel only hires individuals with direct experience in administering medication and caring for cats with special needs, as older cats are particularly prone to chronic illnesses.
Prospective sitters undergo a rigorous six-step process before being approved to join the app. It includes a 30-minute verification call with the Meowtel team to ensure their legitimacy, a step not typically taken by other pet-sitting sites.
Petcavich humorously noted that getting into Harvard is easier than becoming a Meowtel sitter. Since its founding, the company has primarily operated in stealth mode.
Petcavich explained that they chose to reveal themselves now because the team has diligently worked on developing the brand and refining the user experience to their desired standards over the past nine years.
Meowtel is now profitable, with its gross booking volume revenue increasing by 50% annually. The platform hosts over 2,200 sitters, some of whom have been with the company for nine years.
Meowtel has handled over 95,000 sitting requests, primarily focusing on major cities like New York and Los Angeles. The company plans to extend its reach to smaller cities as well.
