Don't laugh. Exclusive pet hotels, restaurants and clothing lines are big business

It is almost a cliché to say that pets are treated like family members, but what if that is becoming literally true?

Look no further than specialized businesses cropping up to offer custom-made clothing, restaurant meals and five-star hotel accommodation exclusively for pets. Caring for pets "human-style" has gone viral in China.

In urban China, the cat and dog population exceeded 128 million in 2024, increasing from about 101 million in 2020, according to the website Statista. It reported about 52.6 million dogs and 71.5 million cats in households.

The pet industry in China last year hit a record 300 billion yuan (US$41.3 billion) in value, according to the latest report from China's PetData. The analysis noted that treating pets as family fulfills the emotional needs of the under-35 demographic, which accounts for two-thirds of pet owners.

And there's no sign the trend will lose momentum any time soon, according to iiMedia Research, which forecasts the pet market will grow to 1.15 trillion yuan in China by 2028.‌

The opportunities for creative entrepreneurs are obvious. Three people whose love of pets propelled them to open businesses catering to pets discussed their projects with Shanghai Daily.

Custom dog clothing

After earnings a master's degree in fashion design in the UK, Anhui Province resident Liu Yaoru returned to China with the aim of joining her family's custom clothing business.

She is indeed now involved in custom attire, but it's mainly for dogs, not people. Last year, her business earned 3 million yuan.

Liu has a pet greyhound and said she wasn't able to find any outfits for her dog online. She found ready-wear pet clothing, but the choices were limited and not suitable for all breeds of dogs.

So Liu began making clothes for her pet herself and then thought about how many other people might be in the same boat as her.

"The key difference between making clothes for humans and dogs lies in pattern-making," said Liu. "Canine-functional design differs from human ergonomics. For example, some breeds, like greyhounds, have a naturally arched back, requiring adjustments to patterns to fit their curved body lines."

For each order, Liu starts by asking clients if they have a preferred style. If they find something they like in her workshop, she gives them fabric samples, including pricey varieties of wool and silk. Measuring, pattern-making and tailoring ensue.

"Just like human custom clothing, there is a fitting session to make any necessary adjustments," she said. "The whole process takes less than a week. Prices vary between 280-700 yuan."

A popular service in Liu's workshop is altering owner's clothing to fit pet dogs. She also makes matching outfits. Some clients ordering wedding attire for themselves also order tiny tuxedos or dresses for their dogs.

"Matching outfits shows a special bond between owners and pets," she said. "I'm glad to see so many people love their dogs like real children."

Liu said she is very optimistic about the pet clothing market, both locally and globally. Her British-inspired designs resonate well in the UK, while her modern Chinese-style pieces appeal to international visitors seeking culturally meaningful keepsakes.

"This niche combines craftsmanship, creativity and a growing desire for personalized pet fashion worldwide," she said.

Where your dog eats while you watch

At Suhewan Vientiane World in Shanghai's Jing'an District, one restaurant doesn't stand out in storefront appearance, but inside is a different story. The tables and chairs are a bit smaller, and a counter food display offers raw meat versions of lunch plates, cupcakes and Swiss rolls.

Pet First is one of the earliest restaurant chains to caters exclusively to dogs and cats. Launched last June, it now operates three branches in Shanghai.

"We run Pet First in the same way that a restaurant is run for human," said Bai Yu, co-founder of the brand. "We developed our own menu, found qualified suppliers and then set up a central kitchen, where meals are prepared and distributed to our branches every day."

Bai told Shanghai Daily that he and two other men with experience in the Internet industry founded the chain. All are pet owners who take their animals very seriously.

Before founding Pet First, they carried out a six-month market survey that demonstrated the viability of their project.

"Today's trend is that many young people would rather raise pets than children," Bai said, "and they don't hesitate spending money on their 'children.' Many restaurants have become pet-friendly, but they still also cater to human diners. We wanted to create restaurants focused only on pets."

The menu of Pet First is twofold: dine-in fresh food and takeaway snacks.

For dogs, the dine-in, set meals offer a variety of meat, including chicken, beef, venison, rabbit, ostrich and fish. For cats, ‌there are veterinarian-developed fresh meals‌ that promote better health.

"Nowadays, people eat less offal, which contains nutrition for pets," said Bai. "So we purchase extra offal from suppliers and turn it into snacks for pets."

Customers who have been to the restaurant praise its concept.

"The food looked fresh, and my dog quite liked it," commented a customer whose screen name is "Pianpian" on the Xiaohongshu (Red) lifestyle platform. "The food looks even more appetizing than my own lunch does sometimes, and that's quite an eye-opener."

Five-star hotel for pets

Boarding a dog while you're away from home is taken to a whole new level by American-Chinese Golden Chen and his wife, who opened the B&M "five-star" pet hotel in Shanghai's Qingpu District.

The name comes from the couple's two Old English Sheepdogs -- Baozi and Mantou, named for Chinese steamed buns. The idea for the hotel sprang from their dissatisfaction with standard pet-boarding services.

"Arranging reliable boarding for them when I was traveling was a persistent headache," Chen said. "Traditional options fell short of my expectations for comfort and trustworthiness. So my wife and I decided to open a pet hotel that offers the same luxury accommodation available to humans."

B&M has more than 120 rooms, along with grooming salons and dog-training areas. The rooms come equipped with a ventilation system that continuously circulates filtered air to eliminate odors and allergens, with floor heating and a cozy environment.

The accommodation is categorized into "deluxe rooms," "executive suites" and "presidential suites," with prices ranging between 600-1,500 yuan a night -- much higher than standard boarding services provided by pet shops.

"Dogs have a lifespan stretching for only about 10 years or maybe more, and during that time, you are their everything," said Chen.

B&M is not the only hotel of its kind in China. High-end pet boarding services have popped up in places like Beijing, and Guangdong and Hebei provinces.

"Boarding services are shifting from basic care to complete care plans," Huang Wenyu, an analyst with China Industrial Research Net, said in her latest report on the market. "We can expect in the future, that such services will tap artificial intelligence to offer things like automatic feeders and remote monitoring devices, and custom services such as medical care and specialized care for old animals."