Over a quarter of North West pets are 'influencers' with their own Instagram account, survey reveals

Asda Money surveyed 3,000 pet owners across the UK to find out how many are trying to smash the "pet influencer" - or "petfluencer" market.

Some 27 per cent of participants in the North West said they had set up an Instagram account for their pet cat or dog, in a bid to shoot their pets to stardom as an online "petfluencer."

However, 45 per cent of those with Instagram accounts for their pets admitted to resorting to distraction tactics to get them to pose for the camera - plying them with treats or toys for the perfect angle.

Some nine per cent of North West participants even likened their pet's lifestyle to that of multi-millionaire family The Kardashians, according to the survey.

Pet owners also cited communicating with like-minded animal lovers, avoiding "spamming" their own social feeds with pet photos, and storing photos in one place more easily as reasons for setting up an Instagram account.

One of the country's top earners on Instagram is Wilfred the Chinchilla Persian cat, who goes by #WilfredWarrior, with 1.1 million followers on the platform.

She said: "Creating a pet influencer channel is a fantastic way to share your furry friends with the world. However, it can also be a lucrative business venture.

“At Urban Paws UK we have many petfluencers on our books, some of whom can earn thousands of pounds with every post, review, or story. It all depends on the size of their social media following.

"For example, some of our “micro” influencers, who have between 10,000 and 50,000 followers, can make between £200 - £1,000 per post. Those in the “macro” category (between 50,000 and 1 million) will earn much more and if you’re a “mega” influencer (1 million or more), then you’re looking at major financial earnings and bookings from only the highest-profile brand collaborations."