Surge in cat ownership sparks increasing demand for professional pet sitters
Leading pet-sitter association Pet Sitters International offers tips for selecting the purr-fect cat sitter for your family.
KING, N.C. (August 18, 2025) — With cat ownership on the rise, the demand for cat sitters is higher than ever before, reports Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s leading educational organization for professional pet sitters. Fortunately for cat parents, professional cat sitters are available to meet the need for quality cat care.
The American Pet Products Association recently reported a 23% increase in cat ownership in 2024, as well as more multi-cat homes, and PSI’s most recent State of the Industry Survey confirms that cats—not dogs—are the most common pet for which professional pet sitters offer services.
“Because the pet-services industry is often depicted as very dog-focused, new cat owners may wonder who they can rely on for their pet-care needs,” said PSI President Beth Stultz-Hairston. “The majority of PSI’s member businesses offer care for both cats and dogs, as well as many other pet types.”
In fact, according to PSI’s 2024 State of the Industry Survey results, 97 percent of PSI members care for cats, while 93 percent indicated they care for dogs.
“Devoted cat owners have long seen the benefit of hiring professional pet sitters to care for their feline companions while they’re away from home,” Stultz-Hairston continued. “Just like dogs and other pets, cats benefit from the care of professional pet sitters, who come to clients’ homes to ensure pets’ routines are uninterrupted, they don’t experience the stress of a new environment, and their exposure to illness is minimized.”
Stultz-Hairston says there are some professional pet sitters who choose to focus exclusively on cats.
“We’ve seen some long-time pet-sitting business owners transition to cats only, but we also see many newcomers to the industry choosing to make their businesses feline-focused from the beginning,” explained Stultz-Hairston.
Ailurophile Cat and Home Care, led by CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter Sarah Hamilton in Longmont, Colorado, is one of those PSI member businesses focused on cat care.
“We know cats and want to provide the best for these amazing creatures by understanding their unique behavior and care techniques,” Hamilton said. “We provide outstanding cat sitting visits always tailored to each individual cat’s needs.”
For cat owners seeking the right professional pet sitter for their family, PSI offers a free pet-sitter interview checklist and encourages pet owners to schedule an in-person meeting with any pet sitter they are considering. This “meet and greet” or “initial consultation” gives pet parents an opportunity to meet the pet sitter, see them interact with their pets, and review their services as well as their credentials and policies.
PSI also offers a free online search tool where pet parents can search by ZIP or postal code for PSI member pet sitters in their area.
To learn more about PSI, how to start a cat-sitting business, or how to find a PSI member pet sitter in your area, visit www.petsit.com/locate.
###
About Pet Sitters International
Founded in 1994 by Patti J. Moran, author of Pet Sitting for Profit, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, with member pet-sitting businesses in the United States, Canada and more than 15 other countries. PSI members have access to the widest array of business services and educational resources available in the professional pet-sitting industry. PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator is the largest online directory of professional pet sitters, and pet owners can visit petsit.com/locate to find local professional pet sitters.
