Your Cat As A Ticket To ER?

[Major Tom]

Before I saw this article in British newspaper The Telegraph yesterday, I was already of the opinion that Grumpy Cat was overexposed and her owner needed to give her a break. As a cat lover, I follow a number of cats on Facebook, and love reading rescue stories of both cats and dogs. However, increasingly, I have noticed that a few pet owners seem to view their cats as a potential source of revenue, a phenomenon I have mixed feelings about.

This article claims that Grumpy Cat has earned almost $100 million for her owner in the last 2 years (they quote the figure in British pounds sterling). In the article, her owners said,

"'I was able to quit my job as a waitress within days of her first appearance on social media and the phone simply hasn't stopped ringing since."

A cat has earned $100 million in 2 years? My first reaction was to question this figure, but The Telegraph is a reputable newspaper. I'm wondering what others here think of this. I'm of the opinion that Grumpy Cat's owner needs to give her a break so that she can chill out in her own territory at home and just be a cat, instead of a revenue source.

If The Telegraph won't let you view this article, just clear your cookies out. They have a monthly article limit for non-subscribers.

Grumpy cat makes owner £64 million - Telegraph

 

[Texas Proud]

Yep, the money sounds a bit high.... but it seems that product endorsements are a big part of this... not just youtube hits...


I just do not get why someone would want to pay so much for pictures of a cat.... but my money is not going there so who cares?

 

[Meadbh]

All Grumpy Cat has to do us show up. She us living the life of Reilly. I have no problem with her owner "exploiting" her provided she is well treated.

Now, parents exploiting their children, that's another story.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Only in America, huh? I don't really understand the grumpy cat craze, but hey...it's great for his/her owner!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I think Grumpy cat is just being filmed or having its picture taken for the most part. The work I have seen didn't look too taxing. Our dog is a big ham and likes it when we take him places and people pet him and make a fuss over him. He gets bored at home all day.

I'd take the $100M and give part of it to an animal rescue group. Good for her for being able to ER on cat pictures and movies.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I thought it was interesting to learn that the reason the cat looks like that is that he was born with dwarfism and an underbite. Nice that something that could have been seen as a defect has turned out to be what makes him adorable!

 

[Live And Learn]

Not fair !!! I often have a grumpy look at work and it hasn't earned me anywhere near that sort of money !!!!

 

[Major Tom]

I thought it was interesting to learn that the reason the cat looks like that is that he was born with dwarfism and an underbite. Nice that something that could have been seen as a defect has turned out to be what makes him adorable!

In a similar vein, there's a cat who lives in Copenhagen called Monty. He was born with a chromosomal defect that has caused him to be missing his nasal bridge. He's also very cute, and has become very popular on the internet. I follow him on Facebook, and always love seeing new pictures of Monty!

Cat With Unique Face Proves That 'Looking Different Doesn't Mean You Can't Be Fantastic'

 

[W2R]

A cat has earned $100 million in 2 years? My first reaction was to question this figure, but The Telegraph is a reputable newspaper. I'm wondering what others here think of this.

I don't believe it either. I've seen other cats with similar grumpy appearances and they didn't earn their owners anything.

Maybe GrumpyCat's owner has the need to explain some illicit income of some sort to the IRS.

Or, maybe I'm full of canal water and GrumpyCat is just a really high dollar earning kitty.

 

[M Paquette]

I view cats as philosophical keys to successful retirement. Here are a few basic principles I have learned from cats:

• Get enough sleep
• Sunny spots are often warm and comfortable
• Annoyances are easily ignored. If persistent, they may be bitten and ignored.
• Having someone available to assist in grooming and provide attention is important
• Anything left on the kitchen counter unattended belongs to the cat