But the name itself provides a clue as to the true nature of this establishment – and perhaps the occasional excited bark as well.
If you’ve ever considered getting a treat for a furry friend for his or her birthday, this is the place to be: the cakes you see are specially crafted for non-human palates.
It might sound like a quirky idea for a business but – surprisingly or otherwise – there’s actual demand for pet birthday cakes!
Indeed, since opening in June 2021, hardly a day goes by when sisters Lew Li Cian and Lew Li Wei have been able to sit idle.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Li Cian, the older of the two, said it started when she wanted to celebrate her pet poodle’s birthday.
“I tried to search online for bakeries that sell birthday cakes for pets, and I found my options were very limited,” she shared.
Taking matters into their own hands, she and her sister decided to bake a pet-friendly cake by following tutorials online. They soon realised that, unusual as it was, there was an opportunity here in the business of pet cakes.
Eleven Petkery thus began as a side gig for the sisters, although the situation rapidly changed afterwards. “We kept getting busier, with a lot of orders coming in,” Li Cian, 31, revealed.
Despite having concerns over whether it would ultimately work out, they em-bark-ed on opening a physical store. Today, they receive up to 60 orders a week.
For Li Cian, it was quite a career change. Yet, having graduated in nutrition and dietetics, the business correlates somewhat with her field of study.
“Baking for pets and baking for humans are two different things,” she pointed out, explaining that baking for animals isn’t as complicated as that for people – all you have to do is substitute the ingredients with pet-friendly alternatives.
“With a bakery for humans, you have to think of different flavours such as chocolate and vanilla. We get to keep ours simple.”
As such, instead of the usual flour, sugar and baking powder, their cakes feature items such as cheese, eggs and meat.
“We have chicken, beef, duck and salmon, but we don’t serve pork since we have many Muslim customers,” Li Cian added.
And what of the usual fondant and cream exteriors? Identical as they may be in appearance, Eleven’s cake exteriors are actually made using mozzarella cheese and tofu!
The cakes can be customised according to your pet’s dietary requirements, and are decorated with a little figurine depicting your furkid’s breed. For example, if the birthday boy is a corgi, expect a little corgi topper sticking his tongue out at you!
Most of the standard 10cm cakes start from RM59, though the price increases depending on the complexity of the order.
The sisters prefer for customers to pre-order to give them enough preparation and baking time, and the cakes are best consumed (ideally by your pets) within three days.
Dogs make up their primary clientele, with one-fifth of this customer base consisting of cats. And according to Li Cian, there’s little difference between dog cakes and cat cakes.
“Usually cats prefer salmon cakes, while some owners request for tuna,” she said.
Eleven Petkery also sells smaller snacks and desserts, such as dried fish and peanut spreads, for felines and canines.
They’ve also had enquiries about cakes for hamsters and birds. “Unfortunately, those aren’t going to be on our menu anytime soon,” Li Cian concluded with a laugh.
Celebrating your pet’s birthday? Check out Eleven Petkery’s adorable cakes and pastries on Facebook and Instagram.
Eleven Petkery
G-16B, Ground Floor,
Pusat Perdagangan Bersepadu United Point,
10, Jalan Lang Emas, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 10am-7pm daily (closed on Mondays)
Contact: 011-5658 8415