China’s first celebrity cat earns much money as modeling
China’s first celebrity cat earns much money as modeling
Mao Mao, a model, does not often appear on camera, but he sells cars with his face and is often surrounded by charming beauties. In front of the camera, he can earn tens of thousands of yuan a day.
This is a 2-year-old short-haired cat from the UK. Its name translates into English as "Fuzzy Fuzzy". It can be called China's first celebrity cat. It is unique in the world of modeling and performance, where money is made every day.
Cat owners say that there is a cat craze in the society. Cats have taken the luxury cat economy to the next level and now make more money than real models.
Although it will try its best to avoid catwalks, most of the time it is seen lying lazily on the hood or dashboard of a sport utility vehicle. Each photo is charged 5,000 to 15,000 yuan.
Society is becoming more and more obsessed with cats, and the epidemic has rapidly increased the popularity of cats. Cats are in the midst of this craze.
Some studies show that 34% of Chinese people use pets to relieve loneliness. The impact of the new coronavirus, coupled with young people's determination to settle in big cities, has led to a huge demand for pets such as cats.
In recent years, more and more pet internet celebrities have appeared in China, advertising on social media and promoting pet products to make money. Some cats have as many as 500,000 fans on Chinese-style Twitter and Weibo, and more than 1 million Chinese watch pet-related live broadcasts every day.
However, the cat owner Zheng Zhi explained that his cat business is a more traditional business model. In addition to being a car model, Maomao is also a spokesperson for famous brand jewelry.
Mr. Zheng makes more money through Maomao than the average Chinese live model. He said: "A real-life car model can earn 800 to 1,500 yuan for a day of display, but Maomao earns 2,000 yuan for half a day." Through brand partnerships, Maomao's appearance fee is 5,000 to 15,000 yuan, and the price is the same for one appearance on social media.
When it comes out, it usually dresses up first, then goes to a shopping mall or showroom and squats on the roof of a car or inside.
Cat, the offspring of a cat beauty pageant winner, is often surrounded by bustling crowds who take photos of it and stroke its fur.
Are you a feline?
Mr. Zheng said that at a recent car show in a Chinese shopping mall, two real female models also wore cat-themed cheongsams. He said: "When I put Maomao on the car on display, its popularity was three times that of the two beautiful models."
When Maomao attended the auto show for the first two times, Mr. Zheng personally planned it and managed the lighting and photography. But as Maomao becomes more and more famous and earns more and more, there is now a complete team dedicated to its appearance. Mr. Zheng even hired an assistant to take care of the cats’ needs.
In April this year, Maomao booked three catwalk shows. However, after The Telegraph interviewed Mr. Zheng, it has already locked in more than 10 appearances. However, in addition to its high commercial value, Maomao has attracted 6,350 followers on Douyin, the Chinese version of "Dido".
For a long time, cats have been treasured in China, and annual worship ceremonies have been held in all dynasties. Cats are kept as pets by dignitaries, and based on their coat color, they are used as a symbol of luck.
However, China's economic growth in recent years has also led to a substantial increase in the number of pet owners. The 2020 Pets Industry Report stated that the number of pet owners in China has increased from 73.15 million in 2017 to 99.15 million in 2019. The output value of the pet market has exceeded 200 billion yuan, and according to Euromonitor International's forecast, by 2022, there will be more than 300 million cats and dogs in China.