House calls

For customers who cannot book a room, Maotuotuo Hotel also offers house calls to check on pets. On one day during Spring Festival, they received more than 30 house call requests.

"We send the clients a message the moment we set out for their home and record everything from the moment we open the door," Wang said.

The service includes opening the windows for fresh air, cleaning the cat's living space as well as a health report about the cat's condition.

"We also have an AR (augmented reality) service if a client's home doesn't have a surveillance camera so real-time communications can be effectively conducted," Wang said, adding that a main objective is to ensure the safety of the customer's home.

The cost of pet boarding services in big cities ranges from tens of yuan to more than 100 yuan a day, depending on factors such as room quality, the size of the pet and additional services.