Featuring 8 Pets Working Toward Bettering the World, our Top Pet Social Media Honorable Mentions and a List of Pet Profiles You’ll Want to Follow Tomorrow
By Jennifer Galluzzo
There are plenty of sites listing the most popular pets of the Internet. You see their name, how many followers they have and maybe a fact or two about them. But we wanted to know more! So, The Pet Gazette went in search of these famous fur-riends to find out what they are really like and what their lives entail. What we found was not really what we expected, and quite impressive! Here’s the lowdown:
1. Many popular Internet pets are not in it for the money or free stuff, which can be significant. They have real, genuine causes and foundations behind them that rake in a lot of cash for charities. From proceeds from merchandise to appearances to straight out donations, we’re talking millions of dollars.
2. They get noticed in public. Yes – on the street, in the grocery store, in the park – wherever they happen to be. And most are more than happy to pose for a photo and take some time with their adoring fans.
3. Their owners – aka support staff – dedicate a significant amount of time to their pets. Some more than 100 hours per week! A few even have agents or managers. Some tasks include press junkets, photo shoots, interviews, outreach, music videos, foundation management, merchandising, appearances, meet and greets, television specials, radio shows, and of course, filming, editing, and posting multiple times a day on social media. And don’t forget the daily routines of pets – eating, sleeping, playing, bathing, and lots of love.
4. Many rare pet owners use the Internet to show prospective owners it’s not all fun and games; raising and caring for an exotic isn’t easy. From monkeys to giant reptiles, these pets aren’t for everyone. Even for simple things like nutritional requirements, you need particular expertise. It’s not like you can go to your local grocery or pet store and pick up lemur food. These owners want to make sure that people know what they are getting into before they decide to bring home an animal that needs a lot of special care. And if you think you are suited for one after seeing what goes into it, then best of luck in building your owlery!
5. Pets on the Internet are free therapy for millions of people. These critters and balls of fur bring billions of smiles a year to people from all walks of life. Many depressed and critically ill people have reached out to these little stars to tell them how much they are appreciated, how they’ve helped them through a rough day or treatment, or how they simply bring joy to their lives. It’s fairly well-known that people who have pets tend to have lower heart rates, blood pressure, and heart-disease risk than those who don’t. But recently, smaller studies have shown that pets help those with mental illness, autism, PTSD, Alzheimer’s and more. Scientists are studying the effects of cats, horses, rabbits, dogs, crickets, fish and even guinea pigs on various groups that have hard-to-treat ailments. These amazing animals provide companionship, emotional support, touch therapy and more. But for those who are not fortunate enough to have a therapy pet, the Internet provides plenty of options for daily joy. With all of this goodness at the tip of our fingertips every day, we’d love to hear from you! Who are your favorite pets on the internet? Do you have a favorite post or video? Have you met any of these tiny celebrities? Do you think your pet has what it takes to become the next YouTube sensation? Would you have the commitment to keep up with the requirements necessary to maintain a pet celebrity? Let us know using #ThePetGazette! Your pet may wind up in the next issue of The Pet Gazette!
