Commissioned by pet insurance company PetPlan, the survey also showed that more than half of pet owners share photos and updates about their pets on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The rise of “petworking” has even led to the growth of dedicated social networking Web sites for pets, such as Catster and Dogster (both modelled on Friendster), among others.
Reigning supreme in social networking popularity is the charismatic Japanese cat, Maru. With a dedicated YouTube channel, Maru is reportedly more popular than singer Adele, with more than six million views and over 140 000 subscribers.
Some pets on Facebook have even reached “public figure” status, such as Boo, whose “posts” receive the attention of over one million fans.
The Telegraph quotes Neil Brettell, director of pet insurance firm PetPlan, as saying: “Animals are more popular than celebrities on Facebook and other social networking sites.”
Analysts say “petworking” is not as quirky as it may sound and is expected to grow as social media becomes further embedded in our everyday lives.
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