Whilst the internet is full of new companies offering to match dog-sitters with interested owners, there’s still a gap in the market for a similar service for cat owners: enter Cat in a Flat, the online cat-sitting service and community. The site connects cat owners with insured and local cat-loving sitters, and is currently crowdfunding on CrowdCube to take the business to the next level.
The site aims to take the stress out of holidays for cat-owners – cats stick to their own routine and, as anyone who owns one will know, dislike being rounded up and taken to the cattery whilst you go off and have fun. Cat in a Flat matches owners with local cat lovers who are willing to come and look after your pet in your own home.
The arrangement is mutually beneficial for both the owner and the sitter – owners can relax, knowing that their pets are at home in a safe environment, and sitters get to spend a little time with some furry friends, whilst making some pocket money at the same time. All cat sitters on the site go through a personal on-boarding process that automatically insures them, and Cat in a Flat provides them with their own personal webpage, service agreement contracts and a secure payment & booking system. If you want, you’ll even get a photo of your cat looking healthy and happy for each day that you’re away.
The market for this is huge. Nearly £2 billion a year gets spent on UK cat caring, and cat ownership is rising – there are 8 million cats in the UK, but with owners working longer hours, there is a growing reliance on domestic services. And since a 2013 survey from PetAround reported that a quarter of families with pets avoided taking holidays or cut down the length of their holidays because of the “hassle and cost of kennels, catteries and cat homes”, there is clearly the need for a more safe and easy cat-sitting service, with sitters looking after cats in their own homes.
Cat in a Flat is currently looking for an investment of £50,000 on Crowdcube, in return for 4.76 percent equity. For more information on this opportunity, visit their campaign page here.
Miranda Wadham on 02/12/2015
