We are pleased and over the moon to share the news that the Happy Cat Hotel and Spa was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal. The article is entitled, “How Cats are Winning the Post-Pandemic Economy.” The story manages to touch on all of Happy Cat’s marketing and branding messages and sufficed to say, we now feel seen and heard!
The article was written by Gwynn Guilford and the incredible images of our Happy Cat Hotel and Spa in Alexandria, Va. were taken by staff photographer, T.J. Kirkpatrick.
How This Came About
As the Wall Street Journal was putting this storyline together, the reporter interviewed several friends and acquaintances of Happy Cat Hotel CEO Chris Raimo. They all recommended that he be interviewed to help shape the content of this article. The mutual friend circle of referrals kept widening until they introduced Jacque Opp, another acquaintance thanks to our international groomer network & Lynn Paolillo, executive director of the National Cat Groomers Institute.
It didn’t hurt that the reporter was based out of Washington D.C., which made for a convenient onsite visit to Leanne and Jackie’s Happy Cat Hotel and Spa location.
A New Dawn for Cat Care
To say that this is a glowing article about cat-centric business opportunities that appeal to entrepreneurs doesn’t go far enough. The content of the story is so specific to the Happy Cat Hotel brand, it’s almost like we wrote it ourselves! The story starts off talking about how the pandemic kept more people at home, many of whom adopted pets during this time frame.
Now, no longer just a dog-centric business world when it comes to day care and grooming, cats are now getting in on the action! The story follows cat-owner Gabriella Rivera, who adopted her feline during the pandemic and didn’t want to board her cat with a veterinary office. So “Peanut” got the chance to camp out at the Happy Cat Hotel and Spa instead!
The story reports that the Alexandria Happy Cat Hotel has been booked solid since opening in Nov. 2021. But of course!
Statistics and More
The article includes many statistics that pet-lovers everywhere should find interesting. For instance, did you know that there are 240 cat groomers nationwide who are accredited by the National Cat Groomers Institute? To demonstrate how far and fast this market is growing, the institute’s enrollment is up almost 40% higher than last year.
Other stats are just as interesting, such as how the 45.3 million households that now own a cat is up from 42.7 million just a year ago (more customers!)
Our Favorite Line
As we said, this article reads like an advertisement for the Happy Cat Hotel and Spa, but if we had to narrow down one quote to leave you with, it’d be this:
“While the cat has long been considered a low-maintenance pet, the economy emerging post-pandemic is challenging that notion as grooming and sitting for cats become more widespread. Cat owners are willing to pay for services from daycare to baths and exercise, to social stimulation and even a little time at the spa.”
The full article can be found here, but it does require a subscription to access content from the Wall Street Journal. Which is why we’re doing our best to describe in for you here, in our latest blog post. Photos courtesy Wall Street Journal and staff photographer, T.J. Kirkpatrick.
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