Chinese pet owners heading off on vacation are ensuring their beloved companions get to enjoy the best possible 'staycation' themselves, as demand for temporary pet accommodation surges during China's seven-day National Day holiday which began Thursday.
In Shanghai, many pet owners are prepared to pay for premium facilities for their four-legged friends. Among them is Brian Zhang, who has sourced a top doggy hotel which can house seven-year old Shupian, or 'Chip', while he travels overseas during the National Day Holiday.
"It's not convenient to take him overseas. He is old and I don't want to stress him. So I chose to board him in Shanghai. His living conditions are important to me. I've told the hotel the feeding requirements and the supplements he needs. I hope they can take good care of him," said Zhang.
During every major holiday period, the D and L Pet Hotel is packed with dogs and cats, and the recent Mid-autumn Festival coming just days before the week-long National Day holiday has also spurred a long-term boarding demand.
Attitudes are also changing among pet owners, as it is no longer about simply finding somewhere to board their animals while they jet off somewhere. Instead, many now expect premium services to cater for individual needs and dedicated human companionship that can keep their pets happy.
"Pet owners treat pets as family members. They don't want their pets to always be closed in a cage, but a larger space to play and with human companionship. They also want to check the conditions 24 hours a day with their phone," said Felix Fen, Store Manager of the associated D and L Pets Department Store.
Such demand is backed by increasing spending on pets. Duan Minghui has been working in the pet healthcare industry for over 10 years and has observed the changing habits.
"It's totally different. Most of them will change the way to treat their animals. Maybe 10 years ago they just treat [their pets to] some [of] what they eat, just table food to the animals, and now they will want to choose some special [food products]," said Duan, who is director of the local Huangxing branch of the Shanghai Ruipeng Pet Hospital Referral Center.
Across China, the number of pet dogs and cats in urban areas hit 126 million in 2025, a two percent increase from the previous year.
According to the 2026 China Pet Industry White Paper, the total value of China's urban pet market hit over 43 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, a four percent rise over the year before, with this increasing spending only expected to see a larger demand for pet boarding services.
Demand for pet hotels surges during week-long holiday as animals enjoy 'staycation'
Demand for pet hotels surges during week-long holiday as animals enjoy 'staycation'
