I Rent Out My Cats: The Weird Side Hustle That Charges $1 an Hour for Cat Companionship

Imagine walking into a computer shop, renting a gaming PC, putting on your headphones, and having a friendly cat keep you company while you play. Now imagine the cat is part of a paid service.

It sounds unusual, but one Reddit user from the Philippines claims to have turned their love for rescued cats into a small income stream by offering customers feline companionship inside a computer shop.

The idea is simple: customers pay $1 per hour to spend time with a cat while using a rented computer. Cat toys cost an additional $0.30 per hour, while a scoop of cat food costs another $0.30.

The story, shared in the r/WeirdSideHustles community under the title I Rent Out My Cats, attracted thousands of upvotes and plenty of curious reactions.

But behind the unusual business idea is something more interesting: a rescue-cat owner, a supportive landlord, and a computer shop that lets customers spend time with animals.

Key Takeaways

• A Reddit user in the Philippines says they earn money by offering cat companionship inside a computer rental shop.
• The owner rescues cats and currently cares for 20.
• Customers reportedly pay $1 per hour for cat companionship, with optional charges for toys and food.
• The computer shop had been operating for approximately two months when the story was shared.
• The owner says the cats may also be available for adoption.
• Animal welfare, hygiene, supervision, and local regulations are essential considerations for anyone exploring a similar business.

How Did Someone Start Renting Out Cats?

The story begins with a person who loves rescuing cats.

According to the Reddit post, the owner currently cares for 20 rescued cats and lives at a landlord’s property in the Philippines.

Rather than keeping all the animals inside the main house, the owner and landlord arranged a dedicated cat enclosure in the backyard.

The landlord, who reportedly loves cats and lives alone, supported the arrangement.

Then the landlord came up with a different business idea.

He wanted to open a computer shop where customers could rent computers by the hour.

Computer rental businesses remain useful in communities where students, gamers, and other customers may not have access to their own equipment.

But this particular shop would have an unusual feature.

Customers could pay extra to spend time with a cat while using a computer.

Instead of creating a traditional cat café, the owners combined two services: computer rentals and supervised animal companionship.

The result was a business concept that caught the attention of Reddit users.

How Much Money Does the Cat Rental Side Hustle Make?

The Reddit user shared three prices for the cat-related services.

The pricing is relatively straightforward.

A customer who wants only a cat’s company pays $1 for an hour. Someone who also wants to use a toy and purchase a scoop of cat food could spend $1.60.

These are the prices reported by the original poster, not independently verified business rates.

What Could the Business Earn?

Consider a hypothetical example.

If five customers each paid $1 for an hour of cat companionship every day, that would generate $5 in daily gross revenue.

Over 30 days, it would amount to $150 before any expenses.

If the business consistently sold more hours of companionship, revenue could increase.

However, the Reddit user did not disclose the actual number of paying customers, total revenue, veterinary expenses, or profit.

The examples below are hypothetical calculations, not earnings reported by the business.

These calculations exclude computer rental revenue, optional services, food, cleaning, veterinary care, staffing, and other costs.

They also assume consistent demand, which may not exist in practice.

The business’s real profitability cannot be determined from the Reddit post alone.

Why Would Someone Pay to Spend Time With a Cat?

For a person who already owns pets, paying to spend time with a cat might sound unnecessary.

But not everyone can keep animals at home.

Some people live in rental properties that prohibit pets. Others have family members with allergies, travel frequently, or cannot take on the financial responsibility of caring for an animal.

Yet they may still enjoy spending time with cats.

That creates an opportunity for businesses offering appropriately managed animal interaction.

A Different Gaming Experience

Imagine playing a video game while a relaxed cat sits beside you.

For some customers, that experience could make an ordinary computer rental session more enjoyable.

The Reddit poster described the shop as having individual computer cubicles, with a larger room available for groups of up to five people.

Customers reportedly include students and gamers.

Companionship Without Pet Ownership

Spending time with animals can be appealing to people who are not ready or able to own pets.

For customers who visit regularly, managing everyday spending is also worth considering. Understanding the Best Buy credit card payment options can help with planning technology purchases, while exploring the best household budgeting apps can make it easier to track gaming expenses, computer rental fees, and other entertainment costs.

However, the arrangement must also respect the animals’ needs. Cats should never be forced to interact with customers when they are frightened, stressed, or unwilling.

The Owner Actually Rescues 20 Cats

One of the most interesting details is that the business did not begin with someone purchasing animals specifically to make money.

According to the poster, they already rescued cats and were caring for 20 animals before the computer shop opened.

The owner built a dedicated cat enclosure in the backyard, describing it as spacious, airy, and divided into sections.

Because the owner works remotely, they can reportedly maintain the enclosure and supervise the cats as part of their daily routine.

In the comments, the owner explained that three easily frightened cats do not participate in the café activities.

This is an important detail. Not every cat enjoys unfamiliar people, loud noises, or being handled.

The original poster also described cleaning the enclosure regularly and allowing the cats time outside their dedicated space.

Still, housing and managing 20 rescue cats creates substantial responsibilities. Adequate space, enrichment, ventilation, disease prevention, veterinary care, and daily observation are essential.

The owner’s descriptions are personal reports, not independently verified animal welfare assessments.

Some of the Cats Are Also Available for Adoption

The business reportedly has another purpose beyond generating income.

When Reddit users asked about adoption, the owner said that some visitors had already expressed interest in adopting cats.

The poster mentioned plans to meet potential adopters. That gives the idea a different dimension.

Instead of functioning only as an entertainment service, the space may also introduce rescued cats to people interested in providing permanent homes.

Of course, adoption should involve appropriate screening, clear responsibilities, and consideration of the animal’s long-term welfare.

A cat should not be adopted impulsively simply because a customer enjoyed spending an hour with it.

What Did Reddit Think About This Unusual Side Hustle?

The story received substantial attention in r/WeirdSideHustles, with the supplied post showing approximately 3,800 upvotes.

Many comments were enthusiastic about the combination of rescue cats and a computer rental shop.

Some users said they would enjoy visiting a place where they could play games and interact with cats.

Others compared the idea to a cat café, while several commenters were particularly interested in the adoption possibilities.

Not everyone focused on the money.

Some raised questions about how 20 cats were housed, whether they had adequate space, and what happened when cats did not want to interact with customers.

Those questions are worth taking seriously.

A business involving animals has responsibilities that an ordinary digital side hustle does not.

Is Renting Out Cats a Good Business Idea?

The concept has some appealing features.

It can create an additional service for an existing business, attract people interested in animals, and potentially support rescue or adoption activities.

However, it is not suitable for everyone.

For one thing, cats are living animals, not products that can be rented in the same way as computers or bicycles.

Their health, comfort, and freedom to avoid interaction must come before customer satisfaction or revenue.

There are also financial considerations.

Potential advantages

• An unusual concept may help a business stand out.
• Cat lovers may be interested in a supervised interaction experience.
• The service can complement an existing café or computer rental business.
• It may introduce suitable rescued cats to potential adopters.
• Multiple services can create additional revenue opportunities.

Potential challenges

• Veterinary care and ongoing animal welfare costs.
• Cleaning, sanitation, and disease prevention.
• Supervision of customers and animals.
• Local licensing and animal-related business regulations.
• Allergies, scratches, bites, and other liability concerns.
• Stress caused by noise, handling, or excessive interaction.

The business should be designed around the animals’ welfare rather than maximizing the number of customers interacting with them.

How to Start a Cat Companionship Business Responsibly

If you find the concept interesting, the safest starting point is research rather than immediately collecting animals or opening a shop.

Step 1: Understand Local Regulations

Check animal welfare laws, business licensing requirements, food-service rules if applicable, and any local restrictions on commercial animal interactions.

A landlord’s permission alone may not satisfy all requirements.

Step 2: Work With Qualified Animal Professionals

Consult a veterinarian and, where appropriate, an experienced rescue organization before planning the space.

They can advise on health screening, vaccinations, parasite prevention, stress signals, suitable group sizes, and hygiene.

Step 3: Create an Animal-First Environment

Cats need quiet spaces, suitable resting areas, enrichment, access to necessities, and opportunities to withdraw from people.

Any participating cat should be temperamentally suited to the environment and free to end an interaction.

Step 4: Develop Clear Customer Rules

Customers should understand how to approach animals safely, when not to touch them, and why certain behaviors are prohibited.

Children may require additional supervision.

Step 5: Calculate Real Operating Costs

Consider enclosure maintenance, utilities, cleaning, insurance, veterinary bills, staffing, and business permits.

A low hourly fee may not cover these expenses without other reliable revenue.

Step 6: Make Adoption a Responsible Process

If the business supports adoption, work with a reputable rescue organization or follow appropriate adoption procedures.

The objective should be finding suitable permanent homes, not encouraging impulsive decisions.

How Is This Different From a Cat Café?

A traditional cat café generally centers its experience on visitors spending time in a cat-friendly environment, sometimes alongside drinks or refreshments.

The Reddit business takes a slightly different approach.

Its primary service is computer rental, with cat companionship offered as an additional paid experience.

Both concepts require careful attention to animal welfare and local rules.

The difference is largely in how the services are combined.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you really make money renting out cats?

Some businesses charge for supervised cat interaction experiences, but actual profitability depends on demand, operating costs, and animal welfare requirements. The Reddit poster reported charging $1 per hour but did not disclose total earnings.

How many cats did the Reddit user have?

The user reported rescuing and caring for 20 cats in the Philippines.

Where did the cat rental business operate?

According to the post, it operated inside a computer rental shop in the Philippines. The exact business location was not provided in the supplied story.

How much does it cost to rent a cat?

The Reddit poster reported charging $1 per hour for cat companionship, $0.30 per hour for toy rental, and $0.30 for a scoop of cat food.

Can customers adopt the cats?

According to the owner’s follow-up comments, some cats may be available for adoption, and interested visitors had already made inquiries.

Is renting out cats safe?

Safety depends on the environment, animal temperament, supervision, hygiene, veterinary care, and applicable regulations. Cats must be able to avoid unwanted interactions, and their welfare should always come first.

Final Thoughts

The story of someone renting out rescued cats for $1 an hour is one of those unusual side hustles that sounds almost unbelievable at first.

But the concept is easy to understand: a computer shop offers something different by allowing customers to spend time with friendly cats.

What makes the story memorable is that the owner already cared for rescued animals, the landlord supported the idea, and some visitors reportedly became interested in adoption.

Whether the business makes a meaningful profit remains unknown.

The larger lesson is that an unconventional income idea can emerge from combining an existing activity with a service people value.

In this case, however, success should never be measured by revenue alone. The cats’ health, comfort, and long-term welfare are just as important as the business itself.

Disclaimer:

This content is for informational purposes only and reflects our personal opinions and experiences. We just love to write and share what we know and research.