Who Are the Top Pet Influencers? Which Influencers Make the Most Money?
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Pet influencers are pet owners who highlight their pets on social media. Many influencers can make decent cash just by posting adorable and gorgeous photos and videos of their fuzzy family members and declaring their love for their pets. Most pet influencers make profiles for their pets alone, with the owners remaining anonymous.
Here, we look at the top 10 pet influencers as of 2022 and what makes them all so popular.
The Top 10 Pet Influencers on Social Media
1. Jiffpom
Jiffpom is the world’s most popular pet, with 9.6 million followers on Instagram, 1.3 million on Facebook, 252,000 on YouTube, and a whopping 20.5 million on TikTok. This means Jiffpom has over 30 million total followers on social media!
Jiffpom is an adorable Pomeranian that is 12 years old as of 2022. He is also a world record holder. He’s the fastest at running on his hind legs for 10 meters and the fastest on his two front paws for 5 meters.
Jiff’s owners are anonymous because they want the world’s attention only on their dog. He’s also starred in a Katy Perry music video and can skateboard.
2. Tucker Budzyn
Tucker Budzyn is a father-and-son Golden Retriever duo named Tucker and Todd. Tucker is famous for his food critiques and just general hilarity and cuteness.
Tucker has 3.3 million followers on Instagram, 4.2 million on Facebook, 4.95 million on YouTube, and 10.5 million on TikTok. This means Tucker’s following consists of 22.95 million fans!
Like many of these celebrity pets, there is related merchandise, like lick mats (spread treats in the grooves to distract your dog during nail trims) and toys that look like mini Tuckers.
3. Doug the Pug
One of the most famous Pugs in the world is Doug the Pug, who has 3.7 million followers on Instagram, 5.7 million on Facebook, 6 million on TikTok, 2.6 million on Twitter, and 590,000 on YouTube. This adds up to 18.5 million followers.
Doug has been in music videos and is the author and subject of several books. There are Doug the Pug calendars, watches, shoes, coloring books, and even coffee. He also seems to be friends with many celebrities!
4. Grumpy Cat
Grumpy Cat (real name, Tardar Sauce) is one of the most famous cats ever! Unfortunately, she died in 2019, but Grumpy Cat still lives on via social media.
She has 2.6 million followers on Instagram, 7.9 million on Facebook, and 277,000 on YouTube, which means she has 10.8 million followers. If Tardar had lived into the TikTok years, she absolutely would have given Jiff a run for his money!
Grumpy Cat has all manner of merchandise and even an entire movie that she starred in. Tardar had a form of dwarfism and an underbite, which gave her that famous grumpy face, but by all accounts, she was a sweet cat.
5. Nala Cat
Nala Cat is a tabby and Siamese mix, so she has a soft, lightly striped coat and slightly crossed blue eyes. She received a Guinness World Record for the cat with the most followers on Instagram, at 4.3 million in 2020.
Overall, she has 4.4 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million on Facebook, and 223,200 on TikTok, bringing Nala’s social media followers to around 7.3 million in total.
Nala was adopted from a pet shelter in California in 2011 and has grown in popularity. She “authored” a book, “Living Your Best Life According to Nala Cat,” and has put out her own line of cat food, called Love, Nala.
6. Lil Bub
Lil Bub had dwarfism, an underdeveloped jaw, and no teeth. This caused her to stay small and to have an adorable and constant tongue blep.
Lil Bub has 2.4 million Instagram followers, 2.8 million Facebook followers, and 339,000 YouTube subscribers, so Lil Bub has about 5.5 million followers.
Lil Bub died in 2019, but like Grumpy Cat, she still has many loyal fans. She was and still is an emblem of special needs cats. Lil Bub’s Big Fund raises money in support of animals that have extra needs. It has raised over $500,000.
7. The Dogist
The Dogist is the only influencer on this list that isn’t about one specific pet. It was created in 2013 by photographer Elias Weiss Friedman, who started walking the streets of New York to take pictures of people’s dogs.
The Dogist has 4.5 million followers on Instagram, 138,000 on Twitter, and 212,000 on Facebook, which gives it almost 5 million followers.
The Dogist has taken photos of over 30,000 dogs around the world and authored a New York Times bestselling book, “The Dogist & Puppies.”
Also, The Dogist Fund is an initiative where all 100% of donations go to non-profit organizations that work to rehabilitate and rescue dogs. They were able to raise $70,000 in 2021.
8. Venus the Two Face Cat
Venus the Two Face Cat is just about one of the most eye-catching and unique-looking cats out there! She’s a tortoiseshell cat that is thought to be a chimera, but no one truly knows why she looks the way that she does.
It’s as if someone drew a perfect line down the middle of her face and painted one side black and the other orange tabby. Also, Venus has a green eye on the black side and a blue eye on the orange side.
Venus has 2.2 million followers on Instagram, 14,000 subscribers on YouTube, 1.5 million on Facebook, and 2.3 million on TikTok, which gives Venus just over 6 million followers. She’s a rare cat indeed!
9. Tika the Iggy
Tika the Iggy is an Italian Greyhound that has become a fashion icon in the dog world. She hails from Montréal, Quebec, and probably has a more extensive and fashionable wardrobe than most people!
Tika has 1.1 million followers on Instagram, 36,600 followers on Facebook, and 2.2 million on TikTok, which gives her 3.3 million dog fashion fans.
Tika’s fame rose with a TikTok video where she showcased the clothing that she couldn’t wear during the pandemic. She, in fact, has well over 200 outfits!
10. Hosico Cat
Hosico Cat is a Scottish Straight breed from Russia, born in 2014.
A Scottish Straight cat is technically a Scottish Fold, but their ears stand up straight instead of being folded over. Hosico is a Japanese term that means “star child.”
Hosico has 1.9 million Instagram followers, 415,000 subscribers on YouTube, 374,000 followers on Facebook, and 556,000 TikTok followers. This gives Hosico 3.2 million followers from around the world.
Hosico became a favorite due to his adorable roundness, beautiful blue eyes, and of course, his charming personality.
Making Money as a Pet Influencer
As you can imagine, the more popular the pet, the more earnings they can potentially bring in. The earnings of pet influencers are based on their posts. Companies and brands want the opportunity to gain recognition, and there’s no better way for a dog food or pet insurance to get attention than on a popular pet’s social media.
Jiffpom is the most popular on social media and brings in the most earnings at $27,153 per post on Instagram. Nala Cat comes in second with $11,517 per post, and Doug the Pug in third, earning $10,575 for each post.
Also, bear in mind that many of the owners of these pets do a great deal of merchandising, which can generate more income.
Conclusion
Being a pet influencer takes a big deal of work. It’s all about having the right pet with the right personality and looks and taking the right photos and videos. Some call attention to the plight of some pets, like special needs and rescue pets, but overall, it takes a discerning eye to make it in the pet influencer business.
In the meantime, just focus on how lucky you are to have a pet in your life! Even if they don’t take off on social media, the important thing is the bond that you have, and clearly, your pet will always be number one to you!
Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock
