Cats have long been overshadowed in the pet industry, with most innovation and services focused on dogs. However, Sonya Petcavich, the founder of cat-sitting app Meowtel, believes that cats and their owners deserve more attention. After realizing that existing pet-sitting services didn’t meet the unique needs of cat owners, Petcavich took matters into her own hands and launched Meowtel in 2015.
Meowtel operates as a marketplace for cat owners to find reliable cat sitters. Unlike other platforms, Meowtel exclusively hires individuals with direct experience in caring for cats, including administering medication and meeting the needs of senior or special needs cats. Prospective sitters must go through a rigorous six-step verification process before joining the app, which includes a 30-minute call with the Meowtel team to ensure they are genuine.
Despite operating mostly under the radar since its founding, Meowtel has become profitable and experienced a 50% year-over-year growth in gross booking volume revenue. With over 2,200 sitters on the platform, the company has completed over 95,000 sitting requests, primarily in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Now, Meowtel aims to expand its services to smaller cities as well.
While Meowtel has achieved success with a limited amount of venture capital funding, raising funds from VCs proved challenging due to the dog-centric nature of the venture capital community. Nonetheless, Petcavich believed that Meowtel’s marketplace business model made it a suitable candidate for VC funding. Additionally, she recognized the capital-intensive nature of marketplace businesses and saw VC money as the logical choice.
The discrepancy between venture-backed companies focused on dogs and those focused on cats is evident. Numerous startups have emerged in the dog industry, offering everything from better dog food to health and wellness solutions. Meanwhile, only a handful of venture-backed companies, such as Smalls, a fresh pet food company, have focused on cats.
However, Petcavich’s confidence in the demand for a cat-specific sitting service appears justified. Meowtel’s success and consistent growth suggest that there is indeed a market for such a service. Petcavich attributes this to the unique psychology of cat owners and the specific medical needs of cats. In an era where brands cater to every specific audience, Petcavich believes that Meowtel fills a gap in the market by recognizing the distinct needs of cat owners and their feline companions.
In conclusion, Meowtel’s journey highlights the untapped potential in the cat industry and the need for more innovation and services tailored to cat owners. By focusing exclusively on cats and their unique requirements, Meowtel has carved out a niche in the pet-sitting market. As the company continues to expand and serve cat owners across the country, it proves that cats deserve just as much attention and care as their canine counterparts.