¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·

In a bustling city like Dhaka with its densely populated neighbourhoods, many residents raise pets—particularly cats and dogs—as companions. Challenges, however, arise when pet owners need to travel, making it difficult to find a safe place for their furry friends.

‘I often have to miss social occasions because I have nowhere to safely leave my two pet cats,’ said Touhida Islam, a homemaker from Green Road, who has been raising pets since 2020.

In response to the demand that barely existed a few years ago, several pet hostels, foster homes and pet-cafés have been set up in the city that offer comfort to both pets and their owners.     

In February 2022, three entrepreneurs—Rakibul Haq Emil, Nuzhat Nabila, and Khalid Farhan—launched Furryghor, Dhaka’s first-ever pet hostel near Mirpur Zoo Road, providing temporary homes for cats and dogs with safety, security, and hygiene. 

As the concept gained traction, the trio teamed up with three more entrepreneurs to open a second branch on Gulshan-Tejgaon Link Road in December 2024. Reflecting on their journey, Nabila said on April 9, ‘Back in 2022, we never thought it would become such a success—that we’d be opening a new branch within just three years.’

Pet parents, from foreigners working in Bangladesh to locals, often rely on these facilities during holidays such as Eids or while travelling.

During a visit to the Gulshan branch on April 9, pets were seen in their 20- to 50-square-foot cabins, some even with their pillows and favourite toys. The hostel housed 12 cats and six dogs at the time, as many checked out post-Eid.

‘All our 26 cats and seven dog cabins were full during Eid-ul-Fitr, and we had to turn away around 40 customers from the Gulshan branch alone,’ said Qazi Zihad Ullah Dastagir, manager of the Gulshan branch.

The new branch also includes a café with two sections—one for pet lovers to spend time with cats and another for those who prefer to observe from a distance. The entire space, from the café to the hostel, is connected by see-through partitions.

‘Many pet lovers wanted to spend time with pets at our Mirpur branch, but we couldn’t allow that, as it’s a hostel with restricted entry,’ said Nabila, also an architect, adding that they have opened the café for people to spend time with pets. 

A locally bred cat named Simba, which arrived at the hostel on January 27 and was scheduled to check out on March 15 (with a possible extension), was seen resting quietly in the corner of its 20- square feet cabin—designed the same for all cats—with a box and ladder setup for jumping and resting, as it awaited reunion with its owner abroad.

Samida Mostafa, a lawyer who frequently travels between Dhaka and Chattogram, said that she used to leave her dog Yuki at foster homes—individual-run initiatives offering temporary pet care.

‘Although Furryghor is relatively expensive, I’m okay with their service as they allow scheduled video calls to check on my pet and have trained caregivers,’ said Samida, who has booked the pet hostel four times since discovering it on social media in 2024. 

Furryghor offers pet accommodation packages starting at Tk 900 per day for cats stay of 1-6 days, Tk 750 per day for 7-14 days, Tk 650 per day for 15-29 days, and Tk 500 per day for stays over 30 days and prices for dogs range from Tk 1700 to Tk 2500 per day, depending on cabin size. 

Not all pet owners, however, can afford the cost of hostels as artist Zaid Islam says that he usually relies on friends to look after his cat, Blackie, when he is away as pet hostel expenses are beyond his means.   

Pet owners are required to provide food and ensure their pets are vaccinated. 

Besides, both branches of the buildings feature pet clinics, which offer added convenience for Furryghor residents, allowing them easy access to immediate care for their pets. 

Some pets stay at the hostel for extended periods—three to four months, especially when their owners are abroad. ‘Although it’s good from a business perspective, we don’t want to encourage longer stays,’ said Nabila. ‘We believe pets should spend more time in their homes.’