We’re used to seeing the likes of Kylie Jenner and Taylor Swift sharing daily updates of their lives online.
But the latest wave of social media stars are a different breed entirely.
According to Twitter, a growing number of animals are being propelled to online fame by their doting owners – and raking in vast fortunes along the way.
The most-followed pet on the site is currently Doug the Pug from Nashville, Tennessee, whose account is run by his proud owner Leslie Mosier.
The new wave of influencers includes dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses and even a cobra – with the creatures far outshining their owners with their loyal cohorts of fans.
Twitter has revealed its top 20 most followed pets, including (clockwise from top left): Weird Horse, Doug the Pug, Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub, Doge and Things on a Rabbit
Commenting on the list, Amelia Neate, senior manager at Influencer Champions, told Femail: ‘One of the biggest pet influencer stories to have emerged is Grumpy Cat who started with a simple snap of a grumpy looking cat being made into a meme.
‘After stressful days at work or simply just to make them laugh, people everywhere now reach for their Instagram, Facebook or Twitter accounts to find amusing pictures or videos.
‘This is where pet influencers come in. Capitalising on people’s interests in all things fluffy, turning your pet into a social media influencer is not only funny, but is also a pretty smart move as it rakes in followers and gains media coverage for both you and your pet.’
1. Doug the Pug @itsdougthepug: 1.32M
Doug, whose Instagram account is run by his proud owner Leslie Mosier, is originally from Nashville, Tennessee, but has traveled all over the world in recent months, thanks to his ever-increasing popularity on the social media site.
Doug the Pug tops the list of Twitter’s most followed animals, with more than 1 million fans
2. Grumpy Cat @RealGrumpyCat: 1.32M
The feline, who shot to fame in 2012 in a YouTube video that got 15.7 million views, is reported to have earned more than Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz and Matthew McConaughey.
Reports in 2014 emerged that the cat – real name Tardar Sauce – had earned owner Tabatha Bundesen from Morristown, Arizona, a staggering £64million.
Bundesen said that her moggy, who has inspired countless memes as well as a range of merchandise, was ‘unstoppable’.
She told The Express: ‘I was able to quit my job as a waitress within days of her first appearance on social media and the phone simply hasn’t stopped ringing since.’
Online fame: Former stray white-and-grey moggy Sockington, from Massachussetts, broadcasts his daredevil encounters with with toy mice and table legs to over a million fans
Grumpy Cat’s owner Tabatha Bundesen said that her moggy, who has inspired countless memes as well as a range of merchandise, was ‘unstoppable’ and had made her £64million
3. Sockington @sockington: 1.14M
The former stray white-and-grey moggy from Massachussetts who broadcasts his daredevil encounters with with toy mice and table legs to over a million followers worldwide.
4. Bird Activist @ProBirdRights: 376K
The fictional creature – whose profile picture is a robin – keeps its 376,000 followers entertained with a steady stream of bird-themed tweets and musings.
5. Doge @ltsDoge: 254K
The Shiba Inu dog meme first hit Twitter in 2011 and has since amassed some 254,000 fans as well as spawning a raft of copycat accounts.
King of memes: A Shiba Inu named Doge (pictured) has inspired countless memes and amassed a quarter of a million followers, coming fifth on the most-followed list
It’s not just adorable pups and moggies topping the list; Jon Pigeon (left) and Bird Activist (right) have hundreds of thousands of followers between them
Toothless tabby Lil Bub, from Indiana, is a social media sensation in her own right
6. Lil Bub @IAMLILBUB: 226K
With a quarter of a million followers, Lil Bub has her own clothing label, book, counts Hollywood stars as her friends and her debut film was even shown at an acclaimed film festival.
But the adorable feline has become a worldwide internet hit despite her unusual look – she suffers a rare bone deformity which leaves her unable to close her mouth and her tongue almost constantly sticking out.
The tiny cat’s disability also means she has no teeth, a deformity in her paws, and six claws.
Her rise to stardom began when owner Michael Bridavsky began taking pictures of Lil Bub with some of the music artists who came to record at his Indiana music studio.
Anti Joke cat has amassed 223,000 followers on social media since joining Twitter in 2011
7. Anti Joke Cat @AntiJokeCat: 223K
The miserable moggy burst onto the Twitter scene in 2011 and quickly racked up a huge following with its deadpan – and often darkly humorous – jokes. Despite being off the radar for the last three years, it still has 223,000 followers on social media.
8. Unicorn @tbhjustunicorn: 186K
The mythical cartoon creature has almost 200,000 followers although these days, most of its posts comprise retweets and endorsements.
9. Nyan Cat @nyannyancat: 175K
Such is Nyan Cat’s Twitter fame, it recently had a car designed in its honour, a raimbow-hued Lamborghini worth an estimated £178,000.
An ice cream cone, rubber duck (pictured) and banana are among the hundreds of items Vinnie the Rabbit has modelled since 2012
Weird Horse comes in at number 12 on the list with 145,000 followers on social media
10. Things on a rabbit @ThingsOnARabbit: 171K
A fan account for Vinnie the Rabbit, who became an internet hit after his owner started posting photos of him balancing an eclectic mix of objects on his head.
An ice cream cone, rubber duck and banana are among the hundreds of items the bunny has modelled since 2012.
And proving his popularity, an unaffiliated Twitter account set up under the same name over the weekend with a selection of his finest shots has attracted 270,960 followers.