Cats
How to Market to the “Cat People” in Your Community typography in orange with silhouettes of cats in pink and purple
By Mary Tan
According to the American Pet Products Association, eighty-two million U.S. households own a pet. Of those pets, dogs rank first, living in around 58 million households, while cats come in second with around 40 million households owning felines.1 When considering those kinds of numbers, why wouldn’t you want to increase your service options to include cats as well?

More scientific research is coming out, and studies like those in Current Biology2 are showing that cats aren’t as aloof and independent as originally thought. Cats have been found to need attention just like dogs and babies, while still wanting some independent or alone time. There are countless stories of a pet cat being left alone while its family goes on vacation for a week or longer, and they come back to a cat never leaving their side, wanting pets and attention.

So how do you market to cat owners? It’s no secret that many cat owners prefer to leave their pets at home alone and not pay for boarding. So, as a boarding and daycare provider, it’s your job to spread the word about why it’s better and safer for a boarding facility to take care of them. But what if you’re really a dog person and don’t understand cats?

First, you’ll want to learn as much about cat behavior as you can. After you have a thorough understanding of feline behavior and care, and get your facility set up in a manner that allows a cat to feel safe and calm, it’s time to market you and your business as an expert in the cat space. The following are a few ways to get the word out.

Paid Advertising
Post about your expertise on social media, perhaps taking ads on Google, Facebook or Instagram that target cat owners in your local area. One way you could do it is to showcase a cat behavior fact in a post, and then create a series of posts to follow. Don’t forget to use the right hashtags so you’ll show up on the right feeds. Another paid advertising option is to consider an ad in your local community paper or radio station also highlighting your feline knowledge.
purple silhouette of a cat being interviewed by a orange silhouette hand holding a mic

Those that live in big-city television markets will have morning news shows that can last five to six hours. The producers of these shows need local content, and animals shown on television always attracts viewers.

Free Publicity
Write a press release and pitch your local media to interview you right before your busy travel or holiday season, but remember—you do need a compelling story angle. Promote the need for cats to get attention by explaining that research has shown cats do need attention, even if they have periods of aloofness and independence. Or, if you’re experienced in giving cats medication or administering subcutaneous fluids for dehydrated animals (a common need for older cats with kidney issues), you could talk about.
News Media
Those that live in big-city television markets will have morning news shows that can last five to six hours. The producers of these shows need local content, and animals shown on television always attracts viewers. With the right pitch, getting on these shows means reaching thousands of people at a time. All the television stations have a “submit a news tip” button on their websites. You can submit it that way, but if possible, try to find out the name and contact for the morning show’s executive producer who oversees the editorial content of the show, or the producers who write and put the newscasts together.
Community Papers
These papers need content and have very few staff. They usually are put together by one or two people so, oftentimes, if you have a press release to submit, they will just copy and paste the press release into the paper. For many small communities, the only way to find out what is going on is through these community papers, which are typically very well-read.
Local Cat Influencers
With some quick searching of cats and your city, you usually can find cat influencers on social media. Invite them to come visit your facility and ask if they will help promote your services. Many cat owners follow feline-related pages, so this is a wonderful way to reach new customers. When it comes to influencer marketing, some will post for free in exchange for a free stay or products, while others will want to be paid per post. You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to thousands of dollars for influencers with large followings.
Non-Pet Media
Every community has local lifestyle magazines and mommy blogs, which are well-read by women. Females tend to be the ones who make the decisions about the family pets, so these outlets are perfect to get the word out about your cat services.
Cat Pop Culture Shows
These are popping up all over the United States. Cat Con is a popular one in Los Angeles, which brings in more than 10,000 cat lovers from across California. Same thing for SeaMeow in Seattle, Meow DC in Washington, D.C., and Pop Cats in Minneapolis, Austin and Chicago. So, if your service area is in or near a big city, you can often be an exhibitor for a reasonable cost and get in front of potentially thousands of cat lovers.

Cats are still considered second-class pets to dogs, but that is changing fast since those from the millennial and Gen Z generations are adopting cats at a faster pace than older generations. The pet product industry is also moving towards more cat innovation, as the dog side is over saturated. So, get ahead of the trend and consider putting more research and effort into supporting cats and their owners with boarding services, which is sure to help your bottom line.

References:

  1. 2024 APPA National Pet Owners Survey Stats. American Pet Products Association. https://americanpetproducts.org/industry-trends-and-stats
  2. Vitale, Kristyn R. et al. (2019, September 23). Attachment bonds between domestic cats and humans. Current Biology, Volume 29, Issue 18, R864 – R865. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31086-3?_returnURL