1 in 10 UK pets on social networking sites

Believe it or not, one in every 10 pets in the United Kingdom is part of social networking juggernaut Facebook... or video-sharing site YouTube... or even micro-blogging service Twitter. UK-based The Telegraph cited a new study suggesting more than half of pet owners post about their pets, while one in 10 pets has a social networking profile. "As social networking plays an increasingly important role in our lives, it’s only natural that our pets become part of the phenomenon too. We use sites like Facebook and Twitter as an extension of our real-world selves and when we think of our pets as part of the family we want them involved too," the report quoted social media specialist Stephen Davies as saying. While some animals such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s pet dog Beast have a following online, others star in dedicated sites without "endorsement" from celebrity masters. One online star pet is Maru the cat, who currently has over 6 million views on YouTube since joining the site in July 2008. The male Scottish Fold from Japan has 140,071 subscribers. Some 200 YouTube videos of Maru have attracted some 140,000 subscribers, who have actually signed up to be notified of his next adventure. Boo, a dog on Facebook, is liked by 1.351 million people, The Telegraph report added. As for Twitter, Sockington the cat has 1.483 million followers and has sent 6,739 tweets. — TJD, GMA News