This 2-year-old Samoyed named OK has started a part-time position at a dog café. CNN
In September, Jane Xue took a significant step by sending her 2-year-old Samoyed, OK, off to work at a dog café in Fuzhou, China. For Jane, a 27-year-old PhD student, it felt like a parental milestone. She compared the experience to sending a child off to school. "I wanted OK to have a chance to experience a different life," she explained, noting that she and her partner often spend weekends out of the house.
OK's new job at the café not only gives her a chance to socialize with other dogs but also helps alleviate loneliness when Jane is busy. "It's a win-win situation. She gets to play with other dogs, and I don’t have to worry about her feeling lonely at home," Jane said.
In China, pet cafés have become increasingly popular. These establishments allow customers to interact with animals while enjoying food or drinks, making the experience more enjoyable and justifying the entrance fee, which typically ranges from 30 to 60 yuan (about $4 to $8.50).
For Jane, sending OK to work at the café also offers a financial benefit. With the scorching summers in Fuzhou, leaving OK at home would require running the air conditioning all day, which can be expensive. “It’s quite costly,” Jane noted, emphasizing the practicality of her decision.
This idea of pets earning “snack money” is becoming a growing trend in China. Known as "Zhengmaotiaoqian," this phrase captures the notion of pets working part-time or full-time at these cafés and returning home in the evenings, similar to humans.
The trend reflects a broader cultural shift, as experts predict that by the end of 2023, China will have more pets than young children. This has led café owners and pet parents to actively seek out suitable furry candidates for employment, often sharing recruitment ads and CVs on Xiaohongshu, which is akin to Instagram in China.
In a humorous post that gained popularity, a cat café owner detailed the “salary” of their feline workers. A cat named Datou, humorously dubbed "big head," reportedly earned five cans of cat food after taxes. Another café advertisement sought “healthy, good-tempered cats,” offering daily snacks and a discount for the pet owners’ friends.
When Jane discovered the idea of sending OK to work, she quickly sought a café called “Yezonghui” in Fuzhou. After grooming OK for the job interview, the café owner observed how well she interacted with customers and other dogs. The assessment went splendidly, and soon, OK became the café's star attraction. "My OK is the star of the café!" Jane exclaimed with pride.
However, not all pets have found their dream jobs. Xin Xin, a 33-year-old teacher from Beijing, has been looking for work for her tuxedo cat, Zhang Bu'er. She posted a humorous CV for him on Xiaohongshu, describing him as "clingy and good at purring." Despite her efforts, no café has reached out yet. “I thought they would contact me, but it seems I need to take the initiative,” she lamented, wishing her cat could experience the joy of working.
Xin spends around 500 yuan ($71) a month on food for her cats, and she believes a job could help Zhang Bu'er channel his energy. “He gets bored during the day. A job might help him burn off some of that energy,” she noted.
The first cat café opened in Guangzhou in 2011, and the number of these establishments has surged, increasing by 200% each year. As of 2023, over 4,000 cat cafés operate in China, reflecting the growing interest in pets and the unique ways owners are finding to engage them in everyday life.
