Chew on This: The Pet Biz Bulletin | Jan 2025

Gray cat wrapped in scarf for winter
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Today’s Bite-Size Business Tips

❄️ Hot takes on seasonal pet care stats

🧳 Winter 2024-25 pet travel trends

🐕‍🦺 How trainers beat the January & February slump

🦴 3 ways to level up your winter pet care game

Tricia here in the new year!

My last few weeks have consisted of watching my cat joyfully shred and de-stuff all his holiday gifts, crying over this Etsy pet memorial commercial (warning: the whole PCI office sobbed), and getting all the feels from Chewy’s “Coal for Christmas” ad.

Great job on your own holiday ads this year, by the way! I love seeing you all hit your creative stride.

Skyline Pet Care "Paw-liday Bingo" holiday social media ad

Shoutout to Skyline Pet Care of Houston, TX, who killed it with this Paw-liday Bingo social media giveaway and pet business collab! (I now want a barkuterie board, stat.)

Can’t wait to see what promotions you cook up to thaw the post-Christmas cooldown! Even though the holiday traveling rush is over, the rest of winter is still a busy time with some extra challenges for pet care.

Let’s hit the stats to strategize for a thriving new year.

The 1-2-3s of Pet Biz Growth: Stats-Driven Strategies

🐶 1 Head-Tilting Statistic 🐶

49% of pet parents are most likely to use pet care services during the winter.

We asked almost 500 pet parents which season they use pet care the most. Nearly half said the winter holidays send them scrambling for sitters, boarders, groomers, and more. That’s 22% more than summer, the next busiest season.

Surprising? Maybe, maybe not. The holidays are a blur of activity for most pet businesses, but the back half of winter can have too many silent nights. Let’s explore ways to boost your winter client base.

Psst! Get the inside scoop on what hundreds of pet parents and pet pros say about their must-haves, industry trends, and growing a pet biz in 2025. Join the pre-release list to get our free Pet Care Business ebook packed with stats sent to your inbox.

(We will not send you random junk. We actually like you.)

👀 2 Industry Insights 👀

1
Pet owners are more likely to travel with dogs than cats, and more likely than ever to travel with pets over the winter.

22% percent of both cat and dog owners took their pet on at least three flights over the past year, up in a big way from 13% for dogs and 14% for cats in 2022. (American Pet Products Association)

Despite the trend to bring pets along for the ride, there’s still a noticeable end-of-year uptick in sitting and boarding demand for pets who don’t travel well, particularly cats.

According to Dogster, dogs make up 58% of traveling pets versus cats at just 22%. Dog ownership is higher overall, but traveling with cats has special challenges. Cats tend to get motion sick more easily than dogs and pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, and relief areas usually have dogs, not cats, in mind.

As a result, pet sitters often report more cat than dog drop-ins over the holidays. Did you get the most out of the opportunity? Consider featuring cats more prominently in next year’s holiday pet sitter marketing — you might just rub clients’ fur the right way.

2

Learn a new trick from dog trainers — the pet business that thrives during everyone else’s January and February slump.

Dog Trainer Google Search Trends (2021 – present)

Google Trends chart depicting peaks in the popularity of searches for dog training in the first months of each year over the past three years

Although business actually slows down for dog trainers during the holiday rush, they see a big upswing (circled above) during January and February, some of the quietest months for most other animal services. What’s their secret?

Dog trainers do their best business as pet owners grasp the realities of parenting Christmas present puppies. They offer a productive activity out of the cold that meets a need and helps wiggly puppies get out some of their energy. Could your business do the same?

According to a Nottingham Trent University study, 48% of dog owners are less likely to exercise their dog in the cold and 64% in the ice. Cold weather can also mean pet ear infections from moisture build-up, quicker nail growth from lack of exercise, and itchy dry skin.

Pet care may have strong seasonal swings, but pets still need you, even if their owners don’t realize it — so how can you reach them?

3 Growth Ideas

1. Tailor your services to call out (and solve!) the pet care challenges of the season.

Market active opportunities for pets inside a warm, pet-friendly facility or explain why pets are so uncomfortable this time of year through advertising.

  • Create a winter pet needs ad campaign. Educate new puppy parents on winter must-knows or help owners understand how professional care keeps dogs safe during cold weather.
  • Hold a social media giveaway of cold-weather grooming essentials. Discuss your favorite products (bonus points for links to your store or an affiliate pet store). Drop in an advertisement for your special cold-weather care grooming package at a great price.

 

2. Use seasonal slumps to plan your marketing and revisit your policies and pricing.

Why not use free time to brush up your business plan and advertising?

  • Plan your pet business marketing and social media calendar for upcoming seasons.
  • Revisit whether your pet care contracts and policies are working for you.
  • Budget for 2025 equipment, scheduling tools, or facility needs.
  • Evaluate whether your rates are still competitive and keeping up with inflation.
  • Freshen up your pet website design and make it more user-friendly.

 

3. Add a pet care service to your menu with the opposite seasonal swings.

If you’re expanding or certifying in 2025, consider a service with seasonality that complements your existing business.

  • Pet sitter, pooper scooper, and dog walker services are a natural combo. Promote dog walking and poop scooping as part of your summer services, and advertise more as a sitter and exercise pal during the cold months.
  • Sitters and pet taxis, have you considered becoming a flight nanny? As more people want to travel with their fur babies, you can facilitate safe flights and meet growing demand.

Until next time, happy tails!

Tricia & Prince William ❤
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