CNN —
Jane Xue dropped off her two-year-old Samoyed dog, OK, on her first day of work in mid-September. Who is her employer? A dog cafe located in Fuzhou in southeastern China.
“This feels like a parent dropping their kids off at school,” the 27-year-old doctoral student told CNN while giving the OK to a new part-time job.
Since Xue often goes out with her partner on the weekends, she wanted her dog to experience a different life.
“Sending OK to the cafe is a win-win. They get to play with other dogs so they don’t feel so lonely,” she said.
Pet cafes are big business in China. Visitors can interact with animals roaming around the store, and venue owners can charge extra for the experience. Customers visiting dog and cat cafes in China typically pay an admission fee of 30 to 60 yuan (about $4 to $8.5) per person or simply order something like coffee.
In addition to being surrounded by playmates, Xue says OK’s job at the cafe allows her and her partner to save money. If you leave her at home, you’ll have to run the air conditioner all day, which can be expensive.
“Summers in Fuzhou can be harsh,” she added.
Xue’s idea may sound unconventional, but it is a growing trend in China. In Chinese, it is called “Zhengmo Xianqian,” which means “earn money for snacks.”
The phrase comes from the idea that these pets, just like humans, actually work part-time or full-time in cat and dog cafes, returning home to their families at night.
The snack money trend may seem cute and fun, but it’s also a sign of the times. According to Goldman Sachs, China is expected to have more pets than young children by the end of this year.
In recent months, cafe owners and pet owners alike have been posting job ads and resumes on China’s version of Instagram, Xiaohongshu.
A post titled “How much do you get paid to work at a cat cafe?” became a hot topic. One cat cafe owner said, “A lot of people want to work at our cat cafe, but if you do, let me show you our cafe salary. I just paid my salary!”
A gray-and-white cat named Dato (“big head”) ends up getting five cans of cat food “after tax,” according to this sarcastic post that has garnered hundreds of likes. It is said that it became
“We’re looking for cat employees!” A post written by another cafe owner on Xiao Hongsho received over 100 likes and over 600 comments.
“We are looking for a cat that is healthy and has a good temperament,” the owner added. “We’ll give you one treat every day and give your pet owner friends a 30% discount.”
CNN has reached out to several cafe owners for comment.
As for Xue, she said she stumbled upon a post about a dog cafe on Xiaohongshu and thought it would be fun to OK the job. She soon found a store in Fuzhou named “Yezonghui” and sent a message to the owner. Next, it’s time to get dressed for your job interview.
“The cafe owner observed OK for about an hour to see if he was interacting well with customers and getting along with the other four dogs,” Xue told CNN.
The selection process apparently went well and a beautiful white Samoyed was given the ‘job’.
“My OK is the star of the cafe!” she said.
“He’s good at being sticky and purring.”
When it comes to job hunting, some people don’t do well.
Xin Xin (33), a Chinese teacher at an international elementary school in Beijing, has two cats (one black and white, one orange) and a Shiba Inu.
She’s looking for work for her two-year-old tuxedo cat, Zhang Bua, whose name means “not stupid” in Chinese.
Shin posted his cat resume on Xiaohongshu on September 8th in hopes of getting hired at a cat cafe, but he still hasn’t had any luck.
“He’s sticky and good at purring! A cat chosen by God to work at a cat cafe!” I’m only expecting a few cans.”
“I thought the[cat cafe]owners would reach out to me, but now it seems like I have to take the initiative and send in my[cat]resume,” she lamented to CNN. .
Shin said Zhang Bu’er sleeps during the day, and at night he engages in “parkour” and makes noise, disrupting her and her husband’s sleep.
Even more annoying for Xin, Zhang Bu’er was always curled up on his laptop during overtime.
“He just lay around and watched me rush off like a workhorse,” she said, jokingly.
“(My husband and I) hope that the kitten will become a working cat, learn the hardships, and earn her own food.”
Shin said she spends about 500 yuan (about 7,100 yen) a month to feed her two cats.
“I think (Zhang Bo’er) is too bored during the day,” she said. “Working will help you burn up your energy.”
China’s first cat cafe opened in the southern city of Guangzhou in 2011, and the number of similar establishments in the country has increased by 200% a year, according to CBNData, a state-run financial newspaper.
As of 2023, there are over 4,000 cat cafe-related companies nationwide.
Editor’s note: CNN’s Joyce Jiang contributed reporting.
