Dog and cat 'hotels' give owners peace of mind

BEIJING - Some pet owners who headed out of town for the holiday engaged neighbors to tend their animals. Others laid in plenty of food and water and hoped for the best.

But an increasing number turned to pet boarding services in Beijing, and they made their plans well in advance.

Lu Kaiwen, a manager of a pet supplies shop that also provides boarding, said his shop has 60 rooms for dogs and all were all booked in December.

"We are always busy during Spring Festival." Lu said.

Wang Yao, a 26-year-old white-collar worker in Beijing, has two cats. She shares a two-room apartment with two colleagues, one of whom also has a cat.

"I will be away for about seven days to go back to my hometown, and I really worry about my cats," she said before Chinese New Year. "I cannot imagine what a mess we will see after we are back, because the cats are really naughty. And my biggest concern is whether they can take care of themselves.