People are Making a Fortune Showing Off Their Pets on Instagram

February 18, 2016

The world of famous Instagram pets is full of cuteness, love and more importantly, money.

For starters, pets on Instagram have more followers than you. Chloe, the mini French bulldog has 118,000 followers and Biddy the hedgehog has 581,000 followers. That’s not all — the pets at the pinnacle of their social media fame have garnered millions of adorers.

feeling it #valentinesday

A photo posted by Chloe The Mini Frenchie (📍NYC) (@chloetheminifrenchie) on Feb 14, 2016 at 3:27pm PST

A number of these pets have probably had more job opportunities than the average person. These adorable creatures have product lines and endorsements from well known brands. They are also requested to make guest appearances and receive freebies from hopeful sponsors. Best of all is that the formula is simple: Post pictures of your cute pet to gain followers and monetize along the way.

Dreaming of warmer weather like the day I went to the Painted Hills! Sorry for the lack of posts. Turns out I’m a very sensitive hog to certain medications, so it took a few visits to find out what works best for me. Tuesday was my first day not having to take medicine. I’m not 100% better, but my parents and doctor are doing everything in their power to help me feel better. #biddythehedgehog #tbt #paintedhills 🐭🎨

A photo posted by Biddy (@biddythehedgehog) on Jan 29, 2015 at 3:51pm PST

According to Quartz, though the owners and managers of the Instafamous critters are reluctant to disclose exact figures, Instagram gurus with at minimum 100,000 followers are known to make up to $2,000 per post. Recently, eyewear brand Karen Walker recruited Toast, a rescued King Charles Spaniel as the poster animal of its line.

Can I please haz another? 🎃🙄🍪 #pumpkintheraccoon #raccoon #weeklyfluff #instagram #instagood #instadaily #raccoonsofinstagram #pet #love #photooftheday

A photo posted by Pumpkin The Raccoon (@pumpkintheraccoon) on Feb 12, 2016 at 6:20am PST

Other companies, including wedding registry site Zola, hopped on the bandwagon too. Toast had a wedding in January and wore a custom Marchesa gown and a diamond necklace with a $139,000 price tag for the special occasion.

When your Sunnies match your tongue…new @karen_walker shades in Toast Pink👅🕶

A photo posted by TOAST MEETS WORLD™ (@toastmeetsworld) on Feb 3, 2016 at 5:08pm PST

It’s no secret that America has an infatuation for small, cute and fuzzy things. The pet industry rakes in $60 billion from America’s obsession with pets and it appears that Instagram is the place to do it. Loni Edwards, the owner of Chloe the Mini Frenchie, is taking advantage of the opportunity to start her own brand management company for pets.

not so sure about all the city sounds of new york … but i think a cookie will help.

A photo posted by Buddy Boo Blue (@buddyboowaggytails) on Dec 22, 2015 at 12:46pm PST

Edwards, a pet owner with a J.D. from Harvard Law School, has made it her full-time gig to run a New York-based Dog Agency to manage celebrity dogs. Edwards told Quartz:

“Cute dogs make people happy and brands want their marketing to make people happy, so it was a natural transition.”

A Wally Story: Based on true events. “Can I tell them now?” Wally’s ashamed of his behavior yesterday and believes that revealing mistakes is “a symbol of bravery and courage.” As always, Wally prepares to speak by burying his nose between the couch cushions and taking several deep breaths. “Ready!” His muffled voice is barely audible from under the pillows. Abruptly, like a jack-in-the-box, Wally’s head pops up. “I ate the couch!” he blurts out. “I gnawed through the bandaids!” Wally’s referring to the duct tape on an old couch frayed by my previous rabbit. … Allow me to start from the beginning. Last week, Wally “upgraded the fray” (his words), turning these worn patches into holes. He convinced me that he was “on a mission to rescue the stuffing trapped inside the couch,” and that these holes provided vital access. Although I commended such honorable intentions 😉, on Saturday, I repaired the damage with black duct tape and resurrected a gate. But yesterday … Wally returned to the crime scene! At first I didn’t notice – the tears lurk among shadows at the base of the couch. However, it didn’t take long for evidence of bunny mischief to surface. “Wally?” I examined some strange debris in his wool and immediately recognized the material: his paws were speckled with bunny-bite-sized pieces of duct tape. Black duct tape on fluffy white paws is not easily missed! Wally’s cheeks turned pink as he attempted to explain himself. “I was mad at the bandaids! So I challenged them to a duel! I gnawed and I gnawed!” (“Challenged them to a duel?” Where he learns these phrases, I cannot say.) As I freed the tape from Wally’s paws, he declared, “I must publicly confess! It’s the only way my spirit will be happy again.” And so, here is his confession. PHEW! We can now all rest assured that Wally won’t live forever with an unhappy spirit. ☺️

A photo posted by [email protected] (@wally_and_molly) on Feb 8, 2016 at 9:25am PST

Pets make the best celebrity clients too. They don’t go on to tarnish their reputations by getting drunk or sending deprecating tweets.

Be mine

A photo posted by Marnie The Dog (@marniethedog) on Feb 14, 2016 at 10:53am PST

It’s no question that these furry friends are perfect in every way.

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