As we return to ‘life as normal’, the cat sitting market is booming – with 12.2 million pet cats in the UK who need serving, there has never been a better time to join The Cat Butler team as a franchisee.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK cat population has increased by a staggering 63%. This means that there are now 12.2 million domestic cats in the UK – and these cats account for over 40% of the country’s entire pet population.
How has the cat care industry changed?
The increase in numbers is drastic and has had unforeseen repercussions for some. For example, we’ve seen pet food manufacturers struggling to cope with the surge in demand, and they’ve had to quickly expand capacity to ensure that they can keep up. Veterinary surgeries have been overwhelmed with the volume of new kittens that have required vaccinations and microchips, with feline mothers who have required care, and with the increased pressure put on their services in a time where restrictions have forced them to reduce their services.
As life returns to normal and thousands of workers return to the office, cat shelters also have seen a heartbreaking increase in the number of pets who have been surrendered by families who can no longer care for them.
The good news
Of course, it’s not all bad news – far from it!
These cats are bringing joy to millions of families across the UK. Millions of households are now happily ruled by a cat – and, as cat owners, we know how wonderful this is.
There has been a huge increase in the number of people adopting cats from rescue centres, even as we return to pre-COVID routines.
And for cat sitters?
Well, it’s been pretty incredible, actually! As life returns to normal and families can enjoy holidays once more, we at The Cat Butler have seen a 69% increase in bookings (compared to pre-COVID figures). We are expanding our team at a phenomenal rate to keep up with the demand.
After spending more time at home with their pets over the last 18 months, people truly appreciate that cats really are happier at home, where they are surrounded by familiar sights, sounds and routines. This, of course, has led to an increase in demand for unique in-home cat sitting services such as those offered by The Cat Butler team.
The purr-fect time to join us
All of this means that there has never been a better time to join us as a Cat Butler franchisee. We’ll give you all the training and support that you need to meet the growing demand for cat sitting services in your local area.
In areas such as St Albans, Harpenden and Welwyn Garden City, demand is higher than ever, and our team has almost doubled. Areas such as Dorchester, where we have recently welcomed a new franchisee, are already generating a huge number of enquiries – it will undoubtedly be a busy (and profitable) first year of trading for Paula and her team!
