SINGAPORE – Spotty the Dalmatian became a trending topic after her owners shared a video of them flying to Japan in Singapore Airlines’ business class on Instagram on Feb 9.
The viral short reel was posted on Spotty’s Instagram account (@spottytheswissdalmatian), which has more than 119,000 followers.
The assistance dog from Switzerland is one of many pets that have become social media stars, thanks to the cute, funny and heart-warming content uploaded by their proud owners.
According to influencer marketing platform Lefty, the pet industry’s substantial growth can be partly attributed to social media and pet influencer marketing. It added in its 2024 Most Popular Pet Influencers report that pets have become powerful ambassadors capable of shaping consumer behaviour.
Here are some furry companions with millions of followers who offer a daily dose of cuteness on their dedicated Instagram and TikTok accounts.
@thatlittlepuff
According to Puff’s official website (www.thatlittlepuff.com), the Ragdoll is the most visible cat on the internet.
It is not a tall claim. The six-year-old cat from New York has an impressive 35.8 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, 32.7 million TikTok followers and over 2.8 million followers on Instagram.
Content on Puff’s accounts features the popular cat conducting hilarious experiments, checking out internet trends and crafting do-it-yourself projects – with help from his owner using prop cat paws.
Puff is also quite the “chef” too, cooking steak and whipping up dumplings. Some of his most entertaining videos of 2024 include Puff and his sibling Ragdolls attempting K-drama Squid Game’s ddakji game and the Dalgona sugar shape challenge. The shorts have racked up over 92 million and 227 million views on YouTube respectively.
Puff is so popular that he even partnered American lifestyle brand Tokidoki for a range of dinnerware and keychains. The cat also has his own range of merchandise, such as a dumpling-making machine, a mini curling iron and stationery.
@mochapom
Mocha is a lovable 11-year-old Pomeranian from Australia. The fun videos of the black and tan pooch taking “revenge” or pulling pranks on her owner, her sassy antics or performing tricks often go viral, receiving over 100,000 views on TikTok.
Mocha’s daily adventures are an addictive watch. It is no wonder she has more than 14.3 million followers on TikTok and more than 3.7 million YouTube subscribers.
Fans of the adorable pooch can also buy hoodies, T-shirts and grooming products from its official website (www.mochapom.com).
@itsdougthepug
Doug the pug is known as the “OG celebrity dog”. The 10-year-old has more than 3.6 million fans on Instagram and 6.1 million followers on TikTok.
The famous dog counts among his followers celebrities such as singers Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Katy Perry and Dolly Parton.
Doug the pug is known as the “OG celebrity dog”.PHOTO: ITSDOUGTHEPUG/INSTAGRAM
Doug has also walked the red carpet of Hollywood events like the 2019 People’s Choice Awards.
Content on his social media accounts focuses on his irresistible, slightly sad squishy face, often with his tongue sticking out to the side.
A star in his own right, Doug was featured in a billboard on New York’s Times Square and has his own Doug The Pug Day holiday in his home town of Nashville, Tennessee.
Apart from sell-out merch, Doug also has a New York Times bestseller book, published in 2016, called Doug The Pug: King Of Pop Culture.
@nala_cat
Nala, a Siamese-tabby mix, holds the Guinness World Records title in 2020 for the most followers on Instagram for a cat.PHOTO: NALA_CAT/INSTAGRAM
This 14-year-old Siamese-tabby mix from California has held the Guinness World Records title for the most followers on Instagram for a cat since 2017 with 3.4 million followers. She topped the record in 2020 with over 4.3 million followers. The number has now grown to 4.5 million.
Unlike Puff, Nala’s Instagram account mainly serves up a photo album of the adorable kitty in her daily life, such as getting cuddled by her owner or playing dress-up. Each post gets between 7,000 and 14,000 likes.
Nala is an ambassador for American brands such as vacuum cleaner company Bissell and pet store Petsmart. She is also the face of her own cat food brand Love, Nala (www.lovenala.com), which her owners started in 2019.
@spongecake_thescottishfold
Fans of Sponge Cake travel the world vicariously through the eyes of the Scottish Fold and his siblings Mocha, also a Scottish Fold, and Donut, a British Shorthair.
The globe-trotting trio have over 2.8 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, all loving their adorable travelogues as the family explores the world.
Sponge Cake is a globe-trotting Scottish Fold.PHOTO: SPONGECAKE_THESCOTTISHFOLD/INSTAGRAM
To date, the New York-based cats have travelled to Paris, Venice, Milan, London, Amsterdam and Brussels, among other places.
Apart from the cute videos of the docile feline tourists, the cats’ owners also offer tips on travelling with pets, such as getting through airport security, handling bathroom breaks and keeping cats calm on planes. Of course, there are various brand endorsements featuring the three-year-old cats too.
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