Pets in China are earning ‘snack money’ in cafes as their owners send them to work

CNN —

Jane Xue sent her dog, a 2-year-old Samoyed named OK, off to her first day of work in mid-September. Her employer? A dog cafe in Fuzhou, in southeastern China.

“I feel it’s just like parents sending their kids off to school,” the 27-year-old PhD student told CNN as she dropped OK off for her new part-time job.

Xue wanted her dog to “experience a different life,” as she and her partner are usually out on weekends.

“Sending OK to the cafe is a win-win. She gets to play with other dogs and won’t feel so lonely,” she said.

Pet cafes are a big business in China. Visitors get to interact with the animals that roam the shop, allowing the venue owners to charge more for the experience. Customers visiting China’s cat and dog cafés usually pay an entrance fee, ranging from 30-60 yuan ($4-8.5) per person, or simply need to order something like a cup of coffee.

In addition to being surrounded by playmates, Xue says OK’s job in the cafe allows her and her partner to save money. If they leave her at home, they have to run the air-conditioning all day, which gets pricey.

“Summers in Fuzhou can be brutal,” she added.

“My OK is the star of the cafe!” says her owner, Jane Xue.

Xue’s idea might sound unconventional, but it’s a growing trend in China. Called “Zhengmaotiaoqian” in Chinese, it translates to “earn snack money.”

The phrase stems from the idea that these pets are actually working – either part-time or full-time – at cat and dog cafes and then returning home to their families at night, just like humans.

Though the snack money trend may seem cute and fun, it’s a sign of the times, too. China is expected to have more pets than toddlers by the end of this year, according to Goldman Sachs.

In recent months, cafe