Meowtel
Meowtel is a U.S. two-sided marketplace connecting cat owners with independent, background-checked cat sitters for in-home drop-in visits, overnight stays, and holiday care, monetized via a 10% Trust & Safety fee per reservation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Meowtel does
Meowtel operates a two-sided online marketplace connecting cat owners with independent, background-checked cat sitters for in-home care services including drop-in visits, overnight stays, and holiday-specific bookings. The platform is delivered through a website (meowtel.com) and native iOS/Android applications, supporting self-serve search, sitter profile/review browsing, in-app messaging, and integrated payment processing via Checkout.com (client side) and PayPal/Venmo (sitter payouts). Service is monetized primarily through a 10% Trust & Safety fee (rounded up to the nearest $0.25) layered on top of sitter-set rates, with a floor of $20 per 20-minute visit; sitters retain the full visit amount minus transfer fees. Meowtel does not store payment data on its own servers, relying on third-party processors for compliance.
The company was founded in 2015 by Sonya Petcavich and Bruno Leveque in San Francisco and is incorporated in Delaware. It claims category leadership as the "#1 cat sitting app in America," supported by 200,000+ 5-star reviews, 325,000+ completed reservations, 4,000+ active sitters, and coverage across 8,000+ U.S. cities serving 125,000+ cats. Distribution is self-serve product-led growth through web and mobile, augmented by co-branded acquisition funnels with Nestle Purina, Spot Pet Insurance, and AAA Northeast. The company holds BBB A+ accreditation and does not disclose revenue.
In January 2026, Meowtel was acquired by Rover Group, the world's largest online pet care marketplace (itself backed by Blackstone since going private in 2024), for undisclosed terms. Meowtel continues to operate as an independent brand under its existing co-founder leadership, representing Rover's strategic expansion into the cat-specific vertical of pet care.
Meowtel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Meowtel
- Legal name
- Meowtel Inc.
- Website
- https://meowtel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Meowtel is a U.S. two-sided marketplace connecting cat owners with independent, background-checked cat sitters for in-home drop-in visits, overnight stays, and holiday care, monetized via a 10% Trust & Safety fee per reservation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Meowtel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pet Care Marketplace
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)
- SIC
- Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Overnight In-Home Pet Sitting (Client’s Home) (HSANAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- House Sitting + Pet Care Bundles (Mail, Plants, Security Checks) (HSANAEAI), Cat-Only Boarding (Cattery) (HSANAHAD), Cat-Only Mobile Grooming (HSANAHAB)
Keywords
Where Meowtel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Meowtel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Trust & Safety Fee: Meowtel charges a 10% Trust & Safety fee (rounded up to the nearest $0.25) on a per-visit basis. This fee supports customer support, the Meowtel Promise guarantee, and platform protections.
- Cat Sitter Earnings: Sitters set their own rates and keep the full amount minus transfer fees. Meowtel facilitates payment collection as a limited payment collection agent for sitters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard cat sitting visits starting at $20 for 20 minutes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Meowtel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Meowtel operates a two-sided online marketplace that connects cat owners with independent, background-checked cat sitters for in-home cat care services including drop-in visits, overnight stays, and holiday sitting. The platform enables direct booking, payment processing, messaging, and Meet & Greet coordination between cat parents and sitters across 8,000+ U.S. cities.
Product overview
Meowtel operates as a cat-focused pet care marketplace with multiple service delivery channels: a mobile app (iOS and Android) and a website (meowtel.com). The core offering is a marketplace connecting cat parents with independent, background-checked cat sitters for in-home cat care. Services include Drop-in Visits (starting at $20 for 20 minutes) and Overnight Stays, with special Holiday Cat Sitting available during major holidays. The company serves over 8,000 cities across the United States, with a network of 4,000+ sitters serving 125,000+ cats. Founded in 2015, Meowtel was acquired by Rover Group in January 2026 and continues to operate as an independent brand under Rover's leadership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 200,000+ 5-Star Reviews
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Meowtel
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Meowtel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Meowtel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rover GroupcoreRover Group (world's largest online marketplace for pet care) acquired Meowtel in January 2026 for undisclosed terms. Meowtel continues operating as an independent brand under its existing leadership (co-founders Sonya Petcavich and Bruno Leveque). The acquisition allows Rover to accelerate investment in cat-centric care while maintaining Meowtel's brand identity.
- A Place for RovercoreA Place for Rover (parent entity) completed the acquisition of Meowtel as part of its expansion into specialized pet care services.
- Nestle Purina PetCare CompanyminorCo-branded landing page partnership where users creating accounts through meowtel.com/purina agree to share personal information with Nestle Purina. Purina's privacy policy governs data handling.
- Spot Pet Insurance ServicesminorCo-branded landing page partnership through meowtel.com/spotpet where users agree to share personal information with Spot Pet Insurance. Spot Pet's privacy policy governs data handling.
- AAA NortheastminorCo-branded landing page partnership through meowtel.com/AAANE where users agree to share personal information with AAA Northeast for potential insurance and membership services.
- Checkout.comcorePrimary payment processor for clients. Securely stores and processes credit card and banking information. Meowtel never stores payment information on its own servers.
- PayPal and VenmocorePayment processors available for cat sitters to receive payouts. Payment information is stored securely on PayPal/Venmo platforms and never on Meowtel servers.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Meowtel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pawshake: Pawshake is an international pet care marketplace connecting pet owners with pet sitters, walkers, and boarders across multiple countries. It uses a similar two-sided marketplace structure with background checks and reviews, directly comparable to Meowtel's operational model.
- TrustedHousesitters: TrustedHousesitters is a membership-based marketplace connecting pet owners with sitters for in-home pet and house sitting. Its in-home care model, trust-and-safety features, and focus on community mirror Meowtel's positioning in cat-specific in-home sitting.
- PetBacker: PetBacker is a global pet care marketplace offering pet sitting, boarding, walking, and grooming services across Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Its marketplace mechanics, sitter verification, and reviews system parallel Meowtel's operations.
- Wag!: Wag! operates a two-sided pet care marketplace offering dog walking, boarding, sitting, and pet care services across the US. It directly competes with Meowtel for in-home pet care bookings and has expanded into cat care offerings, overlapping with Meowtel's core use cases.
- Cat in a Flat: Cat in a Flat is a cat-specific pet sitting marketplace operating primarily in Europe and the UK. It competes directly with Meowtel's cat-only positioning and in-home service model, and is the closest international analog to Meowtel's vertical niche.
- PetSitter.com: PetSitter.com is an online directory and marketplace for pet sitters, walkers, and boarders. It shares the same fundamental marketplace structure connecting pet owners with local independent sitters, comparable to Meowtel's core operations.
- Rover: Rover is the world's largest online pet care marketplace offering dog boarding, doggy daycare, dog walking, and increasingly cat sitting. It is both Meowtel's closest direct competitor in cat sitting and now its parent company following the January 2026 acquisition.
Regional players
- Holidog: Holidog (formerly Animaute) is a European pet care marketplace operating primarily in France and neighboring markets. It offers pet sitting, walking, and boarding services through a similar two-sided platform model, making it a regional analog to Meowtel's US-focused operations.
Broad incumbents
- Care.com: Care.com is a large incumbent caregiver marketplace spanning child care, senior care, housekeeping, and pet care. Its pet care vertical overlaps with Meowtel's offerings, though it is a broader platform rather than a pet care specialist.
Emerging players
- DogVacay: DogVacay (now operating under the Rover brand following its 2017 acquisition) was historically a peer pet care marketplace focused on dog boarding and sitting. It represents the same marketplace category Meowtel competes in, with a dog-heavy historical focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Meowtel social profiles
Digital presenceMeowtel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Meowtel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Meowtel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Meowtel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Meowtel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Meowtel
What does Meowtel do?
Meowtel operates a two-sided online marketplace that connects cat owners with independent, background-checked cat sitters for in-home cat care services including drop-in visits, overnight stays, and holiday sitting. The platform enables direct booking, payment processing, messaging, and Meet & Greet coordination between cat parents and sitters across 8,000+ U.S. cities.
Is Meowtel a public or private company?
Meowtel is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently acquired.
When was Meowtel founded?
Meowtel was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Meowtel based?
Meowtel is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Meowtel make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Trust & Safety Fee is the primary driver. The others are cat Sitter Earnings.
Who are Meowtel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pawshake, TrustedHousesitters, PetBacker, Wag!, Cat in a Flat, PetSitter.com and Rover. Holidog is listed as a regional player. Care.com is listed as a broad incumbent. DogVacay is listed as an emerging player.
Does Meowtel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Meowtel.
What industry is Meowtel in?
Meowtel's product category is Pet Care Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSANAEAB, Overnight In-Home Pet Sitting (Client’s Home), with a secondary code of HSANAEAI, House Sitting + Pet Care Bundles (Mail, Plants, Security Checks). Its NAICS code is 81291 and its SIC code is 7340.