Cute critters melt hearts, build following
Print Edition
ANIMALS can melt the human heart, tickle the funny bone or bring us to tears. And thanks to Instagram, YouTube and other online options, you can enjoy their antics simply by following, liking or pinning them.
The Associated Press got hooked on several online celebrity animals in 2015, from dogs and cats to a panda, whose popularity is likely to continue into the new year. Here’s a look.
Nala Cat
Nala is a 5-year-old shelter cat, a Siamese and tabby mix who stands out as the most popular cat on Instagram with 2.6 million followers. She also has 1.8 million Facebook followers.
Varisiri Methachittiphan found her in 2010 as an orphaned kitten in an animal shelter in Castaic, California and knew she was the one.
Methachittiphan started posting photos of the feline with striped fur and big blue eyes and Nala’s popularity exploded.
Grumpy Cat
Nobody’s busier than Grumpy Cat. She had 8.3 million Facebook followers as of Christmas Eve. Her YouTube videos have drawn viewers by the tens of millions.
On December 8, the feline with the comical frown became the first cat immortalized in wax at the Madame Tussauds museum in San Francisco.
The 3-year-old, 4-pounder with feline dwarfism is making her second movie as well as a cartoon series, and is featured in a series of Random House Little Golden Books (the first being “The Little Grumpy Cat that Wouldn’t”).
She’s also continuing as spokescat for Friskies cat food. Her stuffed animal line will grow in 2016, and there are calendars, socks, tanks, T-shirts, sweatshirts, gift tags, and other souvenirs, said owner Tabitha Bundesen.
Marutaro
This bundle of fun and fur, a 7-year-old Shiba Inu, has been top dog on Instagram for several years. He lives in Tokyo with owner Shinjiro Ono, who says he was more surprised than anyone that Maru’s popularity took off.
“His round face, I think, that’s the charm point,” said Ono, who compared the dog’s look to Japanese cartoon characters like Doraemon or Pikachu. “The round face makes people smile.”
Shiba Inus are a popular breed in Japan. But Maru’s popularity is worldwide, with 2.2 million followers on Instagram.
Toast
Toast is a King Charles spaniel and puppy-mill rescue with a floppy pink tongue that hangs out of her mouth. She’s also a celebrity, appearing in fashion shows and shoots, photographed wearing sunglasses and other accessories, and retweeted by the likes of Reese Witherspoon. She’s probably best-known for her Instagram feed, toastmeetsworld.
On Wednesday, Toast will marry a dog named Finn at a hotel in Manhattan. Donations to their wedding registry will raise money to fight puppy mills and pay for care for needy animals.
Bei Bei the Giant Panda Baby
Bei Bei weighed just four ounces when he was born August 22 at the National Zoo in Washington DC.
He was pink, hairless, blind and dependent on his mother Mei Xiang. Four months later, he weighs around 18 pounds and is a lively bundle of fur, muscles, claws and teeth.
Bei Bei’s public debut is scheduled for mid-January, but fans can follow his every squirm and squeal online. There’s a panda cam, Twitter feed, YouTube clips of everything from his first steps to his veterinary check-ups and more.
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