Belmont, United States -Â September 10, 2026 - As U.S. pet ownership reaches 94 million households and industry spending hits $152 billion, The Cats' Inn is meeting Bay Area cat owners where they are: with a cats-only facility built around how cats actually behave.
The American Pet Products Association reported that 94 million U.S. households owned at least one pet in 2024, up from 82 million in 2023, with total U.S. pet industry expenditures reaching $152 billion that same year. That spending isn't incidental. It reflects a shift in how Americans think about animal care, and in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, that shift is playing out in a specific way: cat owners traveling for work and leisure are seeking out specialized care rather than defaulting to whatever general boarding option is closest. The Cats' Inn, a cats-only boarding, grooming, and in-home sitting facility serving Belmont, San Mateo, and the surrounding Bay Area since 1995, is responding to that demand with a facility and service model built specifically around feline behavior, comfort, and health.
Key Facts • The American Pet Products Association reported 94 million U.S. pet-owning households in 2024, up from 82 million in 2023 (APPA 2024 State of the Industry Report). • U.S. pet industry expenditures reached $152 billion in 2024, with $157 billion projected for 2025 (APPA 2024 State of the Industry Report). • The Cats' Inn has operated as a cats-only facility at 880 Old County Rd, Belmont, CA 94002 since 1995. • Its approximately 3,400-square-foot facility includes eight themed playrooms and more than 30 services and options available under one roof. • Boarding options accommodate single cats, pairs, and groups of three or more cats housed together. • Services include long-term and short-term boarding, grooming and spa packages, medication administration, in-home cat sitting, and Kitty Limo pickup and drop-off within the Bay Area service area.
Why Cats-Only Isn't Just a Marketing Position The distinction between a cats-only facility and a general pet boarding environment isn't primarily aesthetic. It's behavioral. Cats are sensitive to scent, sound, and unfamiliar surroundings in ways that differ meaningfully from dogs. A shared boarding environment, where the sounds, smells, and movement patterns of other species are present, can produce sustained stress responses in cats, even when animals aren't in direct contact. That stress doesn't always look dramatic. It can show up as reduced appetite, hiding, changes in litter box behavior, or subtle shifts in temperament that take days to resolve after a cat returns home. At a cats-only facility, those variables are removed by design, not managed around.
The Cats' Inn was built around that reality. Its 3,400-square-foot Belmont facility was designed from the ground up for feline guests: climate-controlled accommodations, eight themed playrooms with vertical spaces and enrichment, and airflow and layout choices that reflect how cats experience an environment rather than how humans or dogs do. Before each stay, owners provide information about their cat's health history, routine, diet, medications, and vaccination status (including FVRCP and any other applicable vaccines), so the team can maintain consistency with what a cat already knows at home. Daily monitoring, species-appropriate handling, and attention to individual temperament aren't features added on top of a standard boarding model. They're the model.
The facility also accommodates cats with medical needs. Staff are trained in medication administration, which means cats requiring daily or timed medications don't have to board elsewhere or go without. For cat owners who prefer their cat to stay home, The Cats' Inn provides in-home sitting services, handling feeding, litter care, wellness checks, and general observation during each visit.
What the Spending Data Actually Signals The APPA's $152 billion figure represents something specific: pet owners making active, deliberate choices to spend on professional services rather than informal alternatives. In the cat care segment, that's a meaningful development. Cat owners have historically underused professional boarding compared to dog owners, in part because cats are perceived as more independent. That perception doesn't hold up well against the practical reality of multi-day or multi-week absences, medical needs that require consistent administration, or cats with anxiety that worsens without structured attention.
The rise in overall pet spending suggests cat owners in the Bay Area and across the country are thinking differently about what their cats need when they're away. The Cats' Inn, recognized as a Best Place to Board Pets winner in the Best of San Mateo Area awards, has been a destination for that kind of intentional cat care for over three decades. With more than 30 services and options available at its Belmont location, including boarding configurations for one cat, two cats, or three or more cats together, plus in-home sitting, grooming, and Kitty Limo service, it's one of the few facilities in the region where cat owners don't have to choose between convenience and a genuinely feline-specific environment.
Cat owners planning travel this fall can learn more about available services and current availability at https://thecatsinn.net/.
About The Cats' Inn
The Cats' Inn is a cats-only boarding, grooming, and in-home sitting facility located at 880 Old County Rd, Belmont, California, serving the San Mateo and greater San Francisco Bay Area since 1995. Its approximately 3,400-square-foot facility features eight themed playrooms, individualized boarding suites, and more than 30 service options designed specifically around feline behavior and wellbeing. The Cats' Inn is a recognized Best Place to Board Pets winner in the Best of San Mateo Area awards and has earned hundreds of positive reviews from cat owners throughout the region.
Media Contact
Company Name: The Cats\' Inn
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 650 508 9878
City: Belmont
State: CA
Country: United States
Website: https://thecatsinn.net
