Is My Cat Influencer Material?
Meet Pancho and Lefty
My parents’ place in rural Templeton, California needed some cats to combat the typical country mice problem. They had a killer German Shepard but needed some interior reinforcement. A neighbor my dad knew through his jogs through the neighborhood had some barn kittens looking for homes. I picked the two that were cuddled together under the porch. As I drove on the dirt road of the property I did a quick roll call of famous duos and settled on Pancho and Lefty for the two brothers destined for an equally exciting rural life they were born into.
I kept them in a room I stayed in at the house for a few weeks, they acclimated to the litter box and opened up to the German Shepard sniffing at the door. Pancho was the first to open up to people, jump on laps, and pose for the camera. Lefty stayed under the bed and behind the door longer, suspicious of his surroundings. Eventually, the two ventured outside and as quick as he crawled into our hearts, Pancho disappeared. The Shepard and I worked the hill hard only to realize that Pancho’s best-case death scenario was the way of a bird of prey, in its claws for a painful flight to a feeding frenzy in an eagle’s nest. Death by coyote seemed so less glorious.
Lefty Today
After moving with me to a cute little spot in the quaint beach town of Cayucos, CA and then to San Jose, CA with my new (ish) husband and I, Lefty has since gained some weight and lives more a leisurely lifestyle. To say the least, he is still a very handsome cat. Like, really really good looking. Sure, he’s gotten into a few scuffles in the neighborhood that haven’t been cheap, but I love him unconditionally and as I always say, having a cat is truly like having a real-life stuffed animal. He still snuggles and uses you as a pillow when sleeping. It’s really cute.
How to be a Pet Influencer
And so with these good looks and a sassy attitude, I made Lefty an Instagram account and set out to make him a real-life influencer. I engaged with other cat influencers and petstagram celebrities, I posted, I liked, I commented, and finally, my thumbs got really sore. So sore that I went to a nearby Walgreen’s to get a thumb brace. I pivoted away from the petstagram community and started to engage (well, Lefty) D-List celebrities like Real Housewife Luann De Lesseps and pop culture writer and podcast host Louis Virtel. Within a month or so, Lefty had 150 followers, Luann liked a few of his posts, we got a few discount codes from small pet businesses, but nothing worth following through with.
What did learn and what I documented on a podcast is that being an influencer isn’t all free stuff and it does take a lot of work. It’s also this pure decision of what you’re trying to bring to the world? There are days when stress is heavy and all I want to do is watch the food being made in fast motion. It’s soothing, relaxing, and brings me joy. As I continue to help Lefty craft his Instagram our only goal these days is to bring you joy and delight in these stressful times.