China’s Holiday Pet-Boarding Surge Fuels Specialised Care Businesses

What changed

Pet-boarding orders in Zhengzhou tripled during China’s National Day holiday, according to Wang Zhiwei, a boarding specialist who entered the business six months ago. His team launched a mini-program in March with standardised home visits, protective shoe covers and gloves, video records, and updates on each animal’s condition.

The wider pet economy is spreading into specialised food, clothing, grooming, nutrition and whole-life care. China’s urban dog-and-cat pet-consumption market reached 312.6 billion yuan in 2025, while a Henan pet-food company now exports to more than 40 countries, with overseas revenue accounting for about 40% of its total.

Why it matters

The important shift is not simply that more pets need somewhere to stay during a holiday. It is that routine care is being turned into a set of formal services, with procedures, digital tracking and specialised products attached to it.

That creates room for small operators such as Wang, but it also raises the standard customers can expect. A boarding service that promises a documented home visit and regular video updates is selling reassurance as much as shelter. The same logic appears in pet food: Xu Xiaoyu and her husband closed two physical shops in Zhengzhou in 2025 and moved online, using the savings to develop products for older pets and those with chronic conditions.

The business is also becoming more segmented. Functional and prescription food, customised clothing, seasonal pet treats and tailored care all target narrower needs than ordinary pet retail. That can make the market more valuable, but it also makes consistency harder. The Henan Pet Industry Association has identified standardised services, traceable food and clearer professional and product standards as central to the sector’s next phase.

The holiday surge shows strong demand at a peak moment. It does not yet show that the increase will last beyond travel periods or that every new business is profitable. The next test is whether these services can turn one-off holiday bookings into reliable, year-round care.