Reels featuring dogs with funny voiceovers or entertaining cat videos—if you regularly scroll through Instagram, you might have observed these visuals while refreshing your feed. Such content is offered by ‘Petstagrammers’, accounts created by pet owners to document various moments of their pet’s life. Many celebrities around the world have also adopted this trend—their pets have become stars themselves. While some might wonder if this is the owner’s way of creating a niche for their pet(s), most agree that such content helps spread positivity through social media.
Making a ‘dif-fur-ence’
Although this trend of pet accounts started in the West, several Indians have actively started following it. Annie Jamir (24) from Gurugram created an Instagram account (@august_thegingercat) for her rescue cat named August, in 2019. While the account began as a simple documentation, currently August is nothing short of a “cat influencer”, with over 50,000 followers. The account now features professional fashion photo shoots with August posing in creative ensembles stitched by Jamir’s mother. “Each shoot is memorable. We are always doing some kind of activity to keep August distracted. It is extremely fun,” says Jamir.
A pandemic ‘op-paw-tunity’
There has been a steady influx of pet posts since the onset of the pandemic. As the usage of social media increased during the lockdown, many people—bored of being at home 24/7—took up different hobbies. Regularly updating the lives of pets on social media added to the recreation list for many. For Rohini-based Bharti Jain (22), creating the account @scotch_the_dogo (it documents the life of her Labrador, Scotch) started as a hobby during the second lockdown. This account by Jain—she attempts to take candid shots of her dog—currently has more than 9,000 followers.
‘Paw-sitivity’ matters
“It is a fun practice and important to capture these moments as memories,” shares Jangpura-resident Sarmistha Halder (24), the proud owner of indie dog Blackie. While Halder—who unfortunately can’t spend time with her pet that lives in Kolkata—shares how ‘Petstagrammers’ help fill the void of a distant pet, Jasola-based Samiya Khan (23) mentions she follows cat accounts from South East Asia because the aesthetics resonate with her. Khan talks about @simabossneko, a Japan-based cat Instagram profile, adding, “The photographer documents various cats around Japan, in action. Every post feels like a character profile in itself. I really appreciate it.”
Watching pet videos can also help boost one’s happiness. Case in point is Pitampura-resident Saba Nehal (24)—a regular follower of accounts such as @sukiicat (a travel blog featuring cat Suki and rescue dog Killua) and @maple.the.pup (an account of mixed breed rescue dog Maple). “Unlike influencers, these accounts are mostly for documentation. So, I do not unnecessarily compare myself with their lives and get stressed,” Nehal says.
Community ‘fur-st’
These accounts have also proven to be a great way of creating a community of animal lovers. Noida’s Bhoomika Chauhan (24), who documents the life of her indie dog, named Mowgli (@mowgli_the_indie_dog), shares how the positive response she received because of Mowgli’s account also made her start another page to document strays around her neighbourhood. “Through Mowgli, I was able to gather an audience. I realised these people can help me with my rescue work. People also donate money towards the cause. This was only possible because of Mowgli’s account,” shares Chauhan.
Like any other trend that is slowly gaining popularity, responses to ‘Petstagrammers’ have also been mixed. That being said, the cute factor of animal images is proof enough that ‘Petstagrams’ are here to stay.
Star ‘pet-fluencers’