Play with a cat or dog and make some cash: China’s pet sitting industry takes off online
- For a few US dollars you can have someone feed, play with, or walk your pet, and yes — they will even clean the litter tray
- The rise of online services means many are turning to strangers on the internet rather than relying on friends and family for help with domestic chores
Pet feeding and play services, or pet caring, are booming in China’s big cities with some carers earning up to 1,000 yuan (US$153) per day.
The customers are mainly young people who travel for business or leisure in China’s increasingly mobile society, state news agency Xinhua reports.
For cats service providers usually feed it, play with it, and even clean out litter trays. For dogs, they will also take them for a walk outside. During each visit which costs 30 to 50 yuan (US$4.60 to US7.60), the pet sitters will stay with the pets for about half an hour and the pet owners can request they live-stream their visit.
“The trust between strangers has touched me,” Hua Jing, a cat sitter, told Xinhua.
The 25-year-old resident of Yinchuan, Ningxia, has already completed 10 orders.
There are more young people with this demand in big cities,” she said.
