PET SITTING MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2024-2031)

Pet Sitting Market Size and Trends

The pet sitting market is estimated to be valued at USD 2.41 Bn in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 5.35 Bn by 2031, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1% from 2024 to 2031.

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As people remain busy with their professional and personal lives, the need for pet sitting services is growing steadily. More pet owners are opting for professional pet sitting to ensure their pets are well taken care of when they are away from home for work or leisure travel. This has driven the demand for pet sitting and similar services across the world.

The pet sitting market is expected to witness positive growth over the forecast period. Rising pet ownerships and increasing disposable incomes are some of the key factors driving the demand for pet sitting services. Furthermore, the growing trend of nuclear families and dual-income households has augmented the need for such professionals who can take care of pets when owners are away. Advancements like mobile applications for pet sitting services have further boosted convenience and accessibility.

Rising Number of Pet Owners

With ever increasing number of individuals and families opting to have companion animals, the demand for pet care services has witnessed a significant surge over the past decade. According to recent surveys, pet adoption reached new heights across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic as people struggled with loneliness and lockdowns. As pet owners started spending more time at their workplaces with offices reopening, the difficulty of leaving their pets alone for extended hours came to the fore. This led many to explore reliable pet sitting options that could offer companionship and care to their cats, dogs, or other animals when they are away from home. Further contributing to this driver is the trend of nuclear families and dual-income households that leaves little time for people to look after their pets themselves. Busy lifestyles and erratic travel schedules of modern families necessitates hiring pet sitters who can stop by their houses periodically to feed, walk, play and generally keep an eye on their furry companions. Elderly pet owners who are not fully capable of carrying out strenuous pet duties also depend on these services. The availability of experienced sitters offering a range of care activities through dedicated apps and websites has made it very convenient for professionals as well as travelers to arrange supervision for their pets no matter where their jobs or leisure trips take them. This growing dependence of pet parents on third-party help is a key factor propelling the expansion of the pet sitting industry.

Market Concentration and Competitive Landscape

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Rising Affluence and Humanization of Pets

The growing affluence among pet owners globally coupled with humanizing approach towards pets is driving significant growth in the pet sitting market. As more households own pets, they are also treating their pets as integral family members. Pet owners want the best and personalized care for their pets even when they are away for work or leisure travel. This has boosted the demand for professional pet sitting services that can take care of pets with love, care and personalized attention at the owner's home. Pet sitters fill the role of a companion to pets, meeting their basic needs as well as ensuring they do not feel lonely and providing mental stimulation through plays and walks. Pet owners find solace knowing their pets are being cared for as part of the family by pet sitters rather than being boarded. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this trend as extended periods of remote working and travel restrictions led many to adopt pets for company. But it also meant that pet owners were wary of placing their pets in conventional boarding facilities due to risk of disease transmission. This spiked the demand for in-home pet sitting services globally. According to recent data by World Animal Protection, adoptions of cats and dogs rose by about 11% each in countries across North America, Europe and Oceania during 2020-21. For instance, as indicated on the Trusted House sitters website, Denmark boasts 260 individual house and pet sitters listed, highlighting a thriving and dynamic market. This reflects a trend towards personalized care, community involvement, and a wide range of options for pet owners, rather than a focus on dedicated pet sitting companies.

Key Takeaways from Analyst:

The pet sitting market has strong potential for growth driven by factors such as rising pet ownership, increasing dual-income households, and more pet parents recognizing the mental health benefits their pets provide. However, low availability of trained professionals and the complexity of managing an online booking platform present initial restraint to scaling operations.

North America currently dominates the global pet sitting market due to high pet ownership in the U.S. and Canada. However, Asia Pacific is poised to become the fastest growing regional market. Countries like China and India are witnessing significant increases in pet adoption as more single professionals choose furry companions and social norms evolve to accept pet ownership.

Within the service landscape, dog walking and overnight care are sizable segments that will continue expanding as busy lifestyles necessitate outsourcing routine responsibilities. On the other hand, high-touch services including administering medication and special needs care for older pets open specialized opportunities.

Market Challenges: High service charges

The high service charges have been a major obstacle in the growth of the pet sitting market. Pet owners are hesitant to opt for paid pet sitting services due to the steep costs involved. While pet sitting services offer great convenience and peace of mind for owners who travel frequently for work, the high fees deter many from availing these services. Pet sitting involves a personal care provider visiting the client's home on a regular basis to care for their pets. This includes activities like feeding, exercising, playing with and providing company to the pets. As the services are personalized and labor-intensive, pet sitters charge high hourly rates. Additionally, many charge a fee for the initial meeting with the pet owners to understand the pet's routine and needs. They also have minimum hours requirements which drives up the overall cost. For busy families with multiple pets, availing full-time pet sitting can burn a deep hole in their pockets. High costs have especially restricted the potential of this market in developing nations. As per the World Bank data, many developing countries saw their GDP contraction in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic turmoil reduced disposable incomes. With constrained budgets, pet owners find it difficult to regularly pay expensive pet sitting fees. They instead rely on cheaper alternatives like family/friends helping out or taking pets to inexpensive group boarding facilities. This has negatively impacted the sign-ups for regular paid pet sitting subscriptions in such markets.

Market Opportunities: Technology integration like live pet monitoring

Live pet monitoring through pet cameras provides a tremendous opportunity to transform the pet sitting industry. As more people adopt flexible work arrangements or need to travel for longer periods, there is increasing demand for services that provide peace of mind about pets' well-being at home. Live monitoring allows sitters to check on pets anytime through a camera app and ensures pets are comfortable, safe, and receiving adequate care such as food, water, walks and playtime. This addresses a major concern owners have when leaving their pets for extended times and builds greater trust in sitters. With the ability to remotely see pets, owners are far more comfortable utilizing sitters for longer assignments or last-minute trips without disrupting pets' routine. The technology is gaining tremendous traction as camera prices drop and models offer wider features like motion detection notifications, treats dispensing, two-way audio and integration with smart home devices. In fact, the American Pet Products Association estimates 28% of U.S. households with pets now have a pet camera, a sizeable jump from 15% in 2020 (APPA National Pet Owners Survey 2021-2022). The potential of this emerging technology to transform an otherwise service-based industry into a technology-enabled one has attracted major investment from VCs. Several new startups offer full-service live monitoring platforms while others provide hardware and software capabilities for existing sitters to build their businesses.

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By Pet Type: Dogs Dominate the Pet Sitting Market Due to their Social Nature and Owner Attachment

The pet sitting market segment for dogs vastly outperforms other pet types owing to dogs' intrinsically social natures and strong bonds they form with their owners. As man's best friend, dogs have been companions to humans for thousands of years through evolution and domestication. This enduring relationship means that when owners go away even for short periods, they worry tremendously about leaving their dogs alone. Dogs need mental stimulation and physical activity every day to stay happy and well-adjusted. Without this attention from owners, dogs can become depressed, anxious or develop bad behavior issues like barking, chewing or wasting. Pet sitting services that provide in-home visits, walks and playtime help keep dogs engaged and comfortable when their pack is away. The bond of trust and friendship between owner and dog is what drives so many to utilize pet sitters rather than leaving their furry family member unattended. Furthermore, larger breeds of dog are less suitable to be crated or confined for long periods compared to smaller pets like cats that prefer solitude at times. Walks and outdoor exercise are extremely important for large and high-energy dogs to burn off excess energy and relieve themselves. Pet sitting allows these active canines to stretch their legs and continues the daily routine they are used to, keeping problem behaviors at bay. The combination of dogs' pack mentality requiring companionship and interaction, along with owners' strong attachment, contributes to the pet sitting market's reliance on services for canine customers. These emotional factors are what separate the dynamics of dog ownership from lesser demands of caring for other pets, driving dog owners to pet sitters more frequently.

By Service Type: Care Visits Dominate the Pet Sitting Market Due to Customer Peace of Mind

Within the pet sitting service type segment, care visits where sitters come to the client's home generate the bulk of revenue. This is largely due to the peace of mind it provides pet owners who worry endlessly about leaving their animals alone for extended trips or vacations. Regular in-home visits mimic the daily routine and environment pets are used to, keeping them content and distressed barking or messing to a minimum. Checking directly on pets at their residence also allows sitters to identify and address any emerging issues immediately, from minor scrapes or bruises to more serious medical problems. Finding a sick or injured animal hours after the fact could mean the difference between a smooth recovery or much worse outcome. The reassurance that someone will be stopping by at set intervals to lavish attention and check on health puts owners' minds at ease. Additionally, care visits do not disrupt pets' familiar environments which is psychologically important for their well-being similar to how consistency provides comfort to small children. Pets do not have to adjust to new noises, smells or accommodations of a boarding facility or pet sitter's home. Remaining in their territory maintains stability during owners' absence.

Regional Insights

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North America has established itself as the dominant region in the market. The region is expected to account for 40.2% of share in 2024 in the global pet sitting market. With the U.S. being the largest economy in the world, it comes as no surprise that it accounts for the lion's share of the North American pet sitting market. Low crime rates even in urban areas and high percentage of nuclear families have made pet ownership quite common. This, in turn, has boosted the demand for pet sitting services whenever owners need to travel for work or leisure. While multi-city pet care startups are witnessing steady growth, neighborhood-based individual pet sitters continue to be preferred for their personalized attention. The region also has a high concentration of skilled pet trainers who offer pet sitting as an additional service.

Asia Pacific represents the fastest growing regional market for pet sitting services. Especially in small-to-medium sized cities in countries like China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia, nuclear families are becoming more prominent which is translating to higher pet adoption. At the same time, instances of families relocating to other cities for better career prospects have increased. This has led to a surge in demand for reliable pet sitting services that can look after pets during owners' absence. A burgeoning expat community in major Asia Pacific cities like Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok has also boosted the market. While organized players have started to enter countries like China and India, the market remains highly fragmented with many small independent sitters and caretakers. However, with rising incomes and westernization of lifestyles, uptake of premium professional services is on the rise.

Market Report Scope

Key Developments

• In January 2023, Wag! Group Co., a pet services marketplace company, acquired the assets of Dog Food Advisor from Clicks and Traffic LLC, aiming to enhance Wag!'s footprint in the pet food and treat market.
• In December 2023, Vets for Pets (Pets at Home), veterinary care, welcomed eight new Joint Venture Partners (JVPs). This allows veterinarians, Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs), and practice managers to maintain control of their practices while benefiting from the support and guidance provided by Vets for Pets.
• In November 2023, Rover Group, Inc., an online marketplace for pet care based on gross booking value, entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Blackstone in a cash-only transaction valued at approximately USD 2.3 billion
• In February 2022, Petco, a Health and Wellness Company, Inc., launched a new initiative in partnership with Rover.com. This collaboration aims to connect Petco customers directly to pet sitting, boarding, and dog walking services through petco.com. The partnership enhances Petco's comprehensive ecosystem of pet health and wellness offerings, which include products, training, grooming, and veterinary care.

*Definition: Pet sitting is a service provided to pet owners who need someone to care for their dogs, cats, or other small pets when they are away from home for short periods. A pet sitting service involves visiting clients' homes to feed, walk, play with and care for pets when the owners are at work or traveling. Pet sitters help ensure pets stay healthy, happy and comfortable in their home environment while their owners are away. They may also provide extras like administering medication, collecting mail and watering plants. Pet sitting offers pet parents peace of mind knowing their furry companions are well taken care of during their absence.

Market Segmentation

• Pet Type Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
  • Dogs
  • Cats
  • Others
•  Service Type Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
  • Care Visits
  • Drop-in Visits
  • Dog Walking
  • Boarding
  • Pet Transportation
  • Others
• Regional Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
  • North America
    • U.S.
    • Canada
  • Latin America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Mexico
    • Rest of Latin America
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • U.K.
    • Spain
    • France
    • Italy
    • Russia
    • Rest of Europe
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • South Korea
    • ASEAN
    • Rest of Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
    • GCC Countries
    • Israel
    • Rest of Middle East
  • Africa
    • South Africa
    • North Africa
    • Central Africa
• Key Players Insights
  • A Place for Rover, Inc.
  • Pets at Home, Inc.
  • Wag! Group Co.
  • PetBacker
  • Careguide Inc.
  • Fetch! Pet Care
  • Holidog.com
  • PetSmart LLC
  • Dogtopia Enterprises
  • Swifto Inc. Holidog
  • Mad Paws
  • PetBacker
  • Trusted Housesitters Ltd.
  • Pawshake
  • Sittercity Incorporated