The rising number of animal cafes in China is allowing pets to earn their “food money.” Pet owners say their animals both socialize and cover their expenses.

In Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 27-year-old doctoral student Jane Shue started her 2-year-old Samoyed dog, OK, in a part-time job to help him lead a more social life.

OK entertains himself by playing with other dogs at the cafe, providing savings for the owners.

The animal cafe business is booming in China. Visitors usually pay entrance fees ranging from 30 to 60 yuan (145-290 Turkish liras) to pet animals roaming around the shop. Some places do not charge an entrance fee, only requiring a coffee order.

Many people send their pets to cafes, treating them as if they were going to work in the morning and returning home in the evening. In a post where a cafe owner asked, “What salary is given in return for working in a cat cafe?” it was mentioned that after taxes, the working cat receives 5 cans of cat food. However, not everyone has this opportunity. Teacher Xin Xin, 33, struggles to find a job for her cat, Zhang Bu’er.

Despite Zhang Bu’er’s CV meaning “Not Stupid” posted on Xiaohongshu on September 8th, there have been no job offers for the cat in Beijing. The first cat cafe in China opened in Guangzhou in 2011, and by 2023, the number exceeded 4,000. Finding a place for pets in social life is becoming a new part of modern living in China.