The pet industry is associated with the emotions of millions of pet owners. These pet owners are really fond of their pets, and they are ready to spend without hesitation when it comes to giving their pets the best care.
Here’s something: the overall spending of Americans on their pets amounts to $6 billion. This number has doubled recently, according to data from 2017. The pet sitting business itself has a market size of $2.64 billion. The industry is supposed to grow at a CAGR of 11.73% from 2024 to 2030.
The best part of starting a pet sitting business is that you are able to spend lots of time with cuddly pets. It’s like making money while spending quality time with your favorite animals. Although it’s easy to start a pet sitting business, success isn’t. You have to plan it and take a step-by-step approach to go ahead and succeed.
Pros & cons
| Pros | Cons |
| This is the simplest business idea anyone can try on. A pet sitting business is fun if you enjoy handing out with pets. | Dog walking and cleaning dog-poop isn’t enjoyable for everyone. You’ll get by as a business owner and have lots of flexibility. But it may not be a good option if you want to build a fortune. |
Industry: Pet Sitting Industry Size & Trends
The number of people owning pets is growing across the world, and the USA has been seeing the highest number of pet adoptions throughout the past few years. Aside from a high rate of pet adoption, pet owners see their pets as part of their family. So, their will to spend for the wellbeing of their pets is connected to their emotions.
That’s why pet owners are looking for the most trusted pet products and services like pet sitting. Millennials are adopting pets at a massive rate, and the rising love for animals across the world is working as a boon to the pet sitting business.
Industry Overview: Pet Sitting in Recent Times
The market size growth has been consistent and rapid thanks to some trends currently actively spreading across the USA. Pet owners are spending a sizable amount of their earnings on their pets for pet products and sitting services.
An announcement by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) reveals that U.S. citizens have spent roughly $147 billion on pet products in 2023. the growth visible in the previous year is supposed to grow year-over-year.
All parts of the pet industry, including pet food treats, medication, supplies, and services like training and sitting, have seen massive growth. Although pet-sitting services have a minimum stake in the pet industry, it’s not small.
Industry Size And Growth
Here is a quick overview of the pet-sitting industry and its potential growth. The industry is currently evaluated at a $2.64 billion market size.
Growth: from 2024 to 2030, the pet sitting business industry will see growth at a CAGR of 11.73%. All the recent trends and growing fondness of global citizens for pets are affecting the growth of the pet market and the services related to it.
Number of Businesses: More than 20143 pet care facilities are registered in the USA, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2024, this number has definitely surpassed its previous number.
Employment: there are roughly 35000 pet sitters currently working across different states of the USA.
Trends & Challenges
Pet Sitting Trends:
A recent trend in the pet industry is the rising humanization of pets. Pet owners are treating their pets as their family. This suggests that pet owners will consider personalized products and services for their pets. So, the range of their needs is expanding with services required for different pet-related needs. Whether it is a doggy daycare, walking, or at-home pet care, the services require personalization at a massive scale.
In fact, potential customers of pet-related services aren’t making their pet-related purchases a one-off from one brand. They are becoming more brand-conscious and considering subscription models for pet sitting, treatment, and convenience.
Pet Sitting Challenges:
Pet-sitting boutiques won’t have it easy while trying to start their pet sitting business. They have to compete against big brands that are able to offer more cost-effective services thanks to economies of scale. It would require unique ideas and effort to stand apart in the tough, competitive market.
Economic downturns might make customers stop from considering luxury pet care services. Should such economic conditions arise, affecting wide and overall customer behavior, businesses have to stay prepared with necessary measures.
Small pet sitting businesses offering personalized services may get affected by negative reviews from customers who aren’t looking for the services they sell. It would require thoughtful reputation management marketing for small pet sitting businesses to thrive.
There are other challenges that can kill the success of your pet-sitting business. For example, handling difficult pets, having medical emergencies, and irregular opening hours of a pet-sitting service are potential challenges that stand as obstacles.
Who is Working in this Industry?
The pet-sitting business is heavily populated by women. A massive 80% of pet sitters are women. Only 20% of them are men. Most pet sitters have a bachelor’s degree. 45% of the sitters are bachelor’s degree holders, while 22% of them have a high school diploma. These sitters are either young high school students or college graduates. The average age of the pet sitters is 32 years.
Startup Cost: How Much Does it Cost to Start a Pet Sitting Business?
The initial startup cost for starting your pet-sitting business isn’t much. You have to at least spend close to $1700 to $4000. This is comparatively lower than starting an event planning or pest control business.
Here’s a small piece of advice – if you want to succeed in this competitive market of pet sitters, consider working on certifications to build your credibility. It’ll be another $250 to $400 added to your startup cost. But it’s worth it. The course takes close to 6 months to complete.
Here’s a startup cost breakdown for a pet sitting business –
| Start up cost | Ballpark range |
| Naming & Incorporation | $150 to $200 |
| Licenses & Permits | $100 to $300 |
| Insurance | $100 to $300 |
| Business Cards & Brochures | $200 to $300 |
| Website Setup | $1000 to $3000 |
| Scheduling & Management Software | $200 to $300 |
| Total | $1750 $4 |
Earning Potential: How Much Can You Earn From A Pet Sitting Business?
The earning potential for a pet-sitting business is decent. There’s a daily earning potential of $30 every day. However, the earnings double when the jobs require an overnight stay at the client’s home. It can potentially reach up to $75 for overnight pet-sitting services. This type of gig requires pet sitters to visit the customers once a day and spend 8 to 12 hours of stay overnight.
The only ongoing cost should be fuel and marketing. So, the profit margin there needs to be close to 90%.
So, as a solo pet sitter, you can sit around five pets every day. With daytime pet sitting, you’ll bring in close to $39000 in annual revenue. Aside from your expenditures on fuel and marketing, the business can earn a $35000 profit, which makes up 90% of the revenue.
With proper marketing and branding, your business revenue will increase. This will require you to expand the business, and you’ll employ more people and hire more assistants. As a result, you will have a lower the profit margin which may go down to 60% of your annual revenue. So, if your revenue is $78000 annually, you can keep an overall profit of $47000.
But this shouldn’t be a closed ceiling above. You can expand your business and transform your pet care services into a pet daycare or pet grooming business. This way, you’ll increase opportunities and broaden revenue opportunities.
Entry Barrier: Common Entry Barriers in the Pet Sitting Industry
Although the opportunities are ample, the pet-sitting industry has its fair share of obstacles. Here are some common examples of pet-sitting businesses –
It’s difficult to handle all types of pets. That’s where having the right skills for handling pets is important. Also, without patience, it’s impossible to succeed in the pet-sitting industry.
The biggest barrier to entry in the pet-sitting industry is the larger pet-sitting chains that are already dominating the industry. Of course, economic downturns have huge and sudden effects on industries such as the pet care industry.
However, competition from the leading companies in the boutique pet-sitting industry is quite high, and the main entry barrier is there.
Pet Sitting Business Opportunities: Who Are Your Potential Customers?
The huge market size of the pet-sitting industry – with multiple ways of diversifying income sources – is the biggest opportunity in this industry. With all the challenges explained above, it’ll not be too easy to start a pet sitting business. It would require analyzing the market and identifying the gaps between the services of your competitors.
For example, your neighborhood has three other pet sitters working. But, does any of them offer an overnight sitting service? Identify these gaps and fill them in to get pet-sitting customers who’ll need your services in the long run.
A good place to start by understanding your audiences and identifying the services they would need. 66% of the U.S.A. households, which accounts for 86.9 million homes, own a pet. Here’s a breakdown of pet owners in the U.S.A. –
| Generation | Pet Ownership Percentage |
| Millennials | 32% |
| Gen X | 25% |
These are the majority of the pet owners who might need pet-sitting services in your area. However, looking for the opportunity and filling it in according to the market requirement will take a pet-sitting business forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some popular questions people usually ask about the pet-sitting market –
What Is The Industry Of Pet Sitting?
The pet sitting business involves temporary care for different types of animals like dogs, cats, and others. Services such as pet sitting are time-bound services where a service provider provides pet sitting for a limited period of time to their customers. Pet owners are more aware of their pets now than ever, which is why the pet-sitting industry is increasing and providing similar and related services.
How Profitable is a Dog-Sitting Business?
The pet-sitting business is profitable, and dog sitting is a key part of the pet-sitting industry. Dog-sitting business owners can make close to $30k to $40k every year running a pet-sitting business. A pet sitter who is working for 20 to 30 hours every week as a member of a dog-sitting business can earn between $20K -$25K per year.
What is the trend in pet sitting?
The pet sitting businesses are growing, and the industry is projected to grow to a market size of $6.4 billion by 2032. The current number of pet sitters in the USA is 35000, and this number will only increase with more people adopting at least one pet. The back-to-office trend is picking up its pace, and that will make the industry rise by a
Conclusion
Before starting a pet sitting business, ensure that this is the idea you should go for. Since there are pets involved, it’ll require more than a business mindset to succeed here. You’ll need to have a love for animals if you are going to enjoy running a pet-sitting business. Other than that, consider your immediate competitors and the market gap they are leaving unfulfilled. Take into account all the challenges and potential opportunities in this industry before you finalize this business idea on which you will spend your energy and dedication.
Did you find the answer you were looking for? Let us know through the comment section if you have any queries related to this idea. Thanks for reading.
READ ALSO:
