Mao Mao, a two-year-old British shorthair whose name translates as “Fuzzy Fuzzy”, can lay claim to be China’s first celebrity cat to branch out into the lucrative world of modeling, according to The Telegraph.
Mao Mao is now earning more than human models for his work, his owner claims.
He can mostly be seen lounging on the bonnet or dashboard of a sports car or SUV, for which he rakes in between 5,000 to 15,000 yuan (US$785.90 to US$2357.71) per photoshoot.
In recent years, China has witnessed a rise in pet influencers that earn money through advertisements promoting pet supplies through social media.
Aside from working as a car model, Mao Mao can also model for jewelry brands.
Zheng, through Mao Mao, earns more than an average human model in China. He said:
A car model earns 800-1500 yuan (US$125.74-235.77) modelling one day, but Mao Mao is paid 2,000 yuan (US$314.36) for half a day. For brand partnerships, Mao Mao is typically offered 5,000 to 15,000 yuan (US$785.90 to US$2357.71) to attend an event, in addition to one social media post.
A typical day will involve dressing up and sitting on top of or inside a car at a mall or showroom. Crowds regularly surround Mao Mao, a descendant of cat beauty pageant winners, taking pictures and stroking his fur, The Telegraph reported.
At a recent auto show at a Chinese mall, Zheng said two other human female models were dressed in cat-themed cheongsams. He said:
When I placed Mao Mao in the car on display, he was three times more popular than those two beautiful car models.
