A pet mat designed by Zhejiang Mengjia Network Technology. [Photo/Lishui Daily]

For Lishui cross-border e-commerce sellers, the growing global pet market offers a way to sell local products, track overseas lifestyles, and feed demand back to local supply chains.

Zhu Mengmeng, a Lishui native who studied in the United States, founded Zhejiang Mengjia Network Technology. She began selling pet products on Amazon nine years ago. She found that US pet consumption was mature, but many products were limited and expensive.

Her first hit product was a pet mat. The team made the mat washable with a separate cover and inner pad, sold it in both pink and blue, and used a dryer-friendly fabric. It reached Amazon's top 10 bestsellers list within two to three months.

The company then developed car seat mats for US pet owners who often drive with dogs in their cars. It later began selling fishing gear, creating larger tackle bags and waders.

As business scaled up, products successful in the US could not simply be replicated for the European market. Even within Europe, consumers differed.

For example, German buyers prefer simple wood-tone designs, while Italian consumers favor vivid colors and lively shapes. The same cat tree therefore took on different forms in different markets.

Mengjia also works with bamboo-wood companies in Longquan, Jingning and Qingyuan on eco-friendly cat trees and pet furniture. With annual revenue exceeding 160 million yuan ($23.83 million), it shows how Lishui manufacturing is meeting overseas demand.