20 Pets to Follow on Instagram in 2020

Most people can’t resist the furry allure of pets. Difficult days can easily be turned around by watching hilarious animal antics. Social media has made it possible for animal lovers worldwide to share and view cute content of their cats, dogs, bunnies, hedgehogs, and other unique animals. Some people post photos for fun while others turn their pets into celebrities by becoming pet influencers with the goal of growing their Instagram followers to the thousands or millions.

As for the pets? So long as they have plenty of treats, a warm place to sleep, and daily exercise, most pets seem to take their Internet fame in stride. Some pet influencers partner with brands or charitable causes and most pet influencers are inspired to share content that educates and entertains.

Here are 20 pet influencers to follow on Instagram in 2020 that are cute, cuddly, and will make anyone wish their apartment allows pets.

Beach Yoga Dog – @beachyogadog

The world is full of rescue dogs, but Phineas the Beach Yoga Dog sings and assists his Florida-based owner Kerri Verna (@beachyogagirl) with her yoga practice. Phineas helps Kerri press up into handstands, pulls her clasped hands down to the ground with his paw, and also doubles as a bolster for restorative yoga, accepting payment in behind-the-ear scratches and treats. When he’s not howling along to Adele songs, he can be found playing with his French bulldog sister Sweet Pea.

Beth Stern – @bethostern

In her own words, Beth Stern “literally sleeps and breathes kittens.” She has spent the past six years spaying, neutering, and finding loving homes for over 1,000 unwanted cats and kittens. A New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and board member for an animal shelter, Beth’s Instagram account is filled with photos and videos of playful kittens and cats that she actively invites her followers to foster or adopt.

Cocoa Puff the Giant Rabbit – @big_cocoa_puff

Everything about Cocoa Puff is big. With a big personality that weighs as much as he does at nearly 20 pounds, this two-year-old Continental Giant bunny from Seattle, Washington is a beloved family pet and Instagram favorite with more than 200,000 followers.

Whereas most pet owners opt to keep rabbits in a cage due to their messy bathroom habits, Cocoa Puff lives in his family’s house without a cage and is litter box trained. Cocoa Puff joined his family on the second birthday of their youngest daughter, is adept at learning tricks for treats, and joins his family on outdoor adventures on a harness and leash.

Hamlet the Piggy – @hamlet_the_piggy

A real-life Ms. Piggy, Hamlet is a female pig who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Like the iconic Muppets character, Hamlet has an impeccable fashion sense, loves to dress up for most occasions, and has a flair for performance.

Beyond companionship, Hamlet serves a larger purpose as a therapy animal for her human owner who struggles with seizures. Hamlet can sense when the physical warning signs of a seizure are present and lays down on her legs to signal to her owner that it’s not safe to get out of bed. When she’s off-stage or off-duty, Hamlet enjoys road-tripping with her family in the United States.

Henry + Baloo @henrythecoloradodog

Henry the dog and Baloo the cat are living proof that cats and dogs not only can live together but also love to be in each other’s company. These two male rescue pets are based in Colorado and are most often photographed while exploring the wilderness together with scenic mountain views, lakes, valleys, forests, and deserts.

When Baloo the cat isn’t hitching a cuddly ride on top of Henry the dog, the two can be seen snuggling in a hammock and a tent and are insulated from cold temperatures with stylish outdoor-weather gear.

iAmMoshow The Cat Rapper™ – @iAmMoshow

The artist known as The Cat Rapper™ iAmMoshow is a proud cat parent and collaborator with his five felines. Based out of Portland, Oregon, iAmMoshow prioritizes the warmth of his cat performers by adorning them with hats and scarves on colder days and gold chains on warmer days.

DJ Ravioli, a docile orange cat with big ears, is featured in many of his songs which can be enjoyed on Instagram and Spotify. iAmMoshow uses his platform to educate his followers on little known cat facts, promote cat adoption, and shows each of his kitty companions love in his videos with a signature smooch on the head.

Jade & Jasper – @jadethesablegsd

Jade and her younger brother Jasper are German Shepard siblings who share everything: a home, a love of floating hot dogs, mischief, and internal dog speak monologues. While Jade and Jasper enjoy their sibling life at home, they can also be seen out shopping for dog supplies, staring at campfires, and trying to understand why humans lie in hammocks.

Juniper & Fig – @juniperfoxx

Juniper and his siblings Fig and Elmwood are North American red foxes born in captivity as descendants from fur-farm foxes. Because they were not born in the wild, they cannot be released and they live together with their adoptive family including humans, dogs, and lizards. Juniper’s family lives in Pensacola, Florida and his owners are on a mission to start a functioning sanctuary to give larger exotic animals a forever home.

Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw – @kittenxlady

Hannah Shaw, otherwise known as the Kitten Lady, is a kitten rescuer and New York Times best-selling author of the book Tiny But Mighty, a must-have instructional guide detailing how to care for the unique needs of rescue kittens. Her work has been featured in People Magazine and in 2019 she was awarded “Cat Advocate of the Year” by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). She also is the founder of Orphan Kitten Club, a 501(c)3 charity which provides kitten adoption and neonatal kitten surgery and other specialized feline healthcare services.

Louboutina the Hugging Dog – @louboutinanyc

Louboutina is a golden retriever from New York City who goes by Loubie for short. Loubie and her human César spread love in the Big Apple by walking around the city and offering free canine hugs to those who want them.

While beloved by many in the boroughs of NYC, Loubie is also a world-traveler and has been seen sharing the canine love in Spain, Los Angeles, and Puerto Rico. Loubie and César are supporters of healthcare workers and partner with fundraising organizations as well as companies like Dyson.

Maru & Hana – @maruhanamogu

Maru means round in Japanese and this Scottish Fold cat from Japan gained his viral fame with his signature move: running and stuffing his rotund body into small boxes. At the age of nine in 2017, Maru achieved the Guinness World Records title for most views for an animal on YouTube, earning 325,704,506 views.

When Maru isn’t sticking his face through a cardboard box or meditating on his indoor swing, he can be found napping calmly in a clear plastic bucket and tolerating his younger feline sister Hana.

Mochi & Chloe – @mochiandchloe

Mochi and Chloe are two female chihuahua mixes who are living their best lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. Chloe is the younger sister and is a chihuahua miniature pinscher living with GME, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The older sister Mochi is a chihuahua corgi mix and while she is twice as big as her sister, they both share big expressive ears.

This dynamic duo dresses up for every occasion imaginable as Batman and Superman for Halloween, Santa Claus and Elf for Christmas, and wear green and yellow for every Greenbay Packers football game.

Gustav Mousketeer – @mouster.gustav

Gustav Mousketeer is a rescue field mouse who was found with his sister Scarlette when their human owners found them in the compost bin in the cold late fall months in Australia. The owners were faced with a difficult decision: keep the microscopic baby mice (barely the size of a fingertip) outside in the dark and cold and let their mother find them, or bring them indoors to stay warm.

They choose the latter, nursing Gustav and his sister to life, feeding them hourly and keeping them warm with a heating bad. Both mice got sick and while unfortunately, Scarlette didn’t make it, Gustav survived. He is now thriving in mouse luxury in a custom-built environment that’s decorated regularly and dining on gourmet meals such as strawberry porridge and tiny pizzas.

Muskrat Nation – @muskratnation

Many people have heard of adopting pets, but fostering pets is an emerging trend. The benefits of fostering are easing the burden on overpopulated shelters and making another pet ownership option possible for those who may not be able to make a lifelong commitment. This is a household group of former foster cats—many from Beth Stern (see featured account above). The owners affectionately named the group of seven the “Muskrat Nation.”

Nic and Pancho – @nicandpancho

The phrase “dog is a man’s best friend” best describes Nic the Italian and his chihuahua Pancho, a pair whose fame began with a viral video of them practicing yoga at home together. Nic and Pancho have traveled the world and shared their travels with millions of viewers on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

In March 2020, Pancho passed away after dealing with complications from a heart murmur he endured since birth. Nic and Pancho’s adventures live on through their photos and videos and continue to inspire human and animal duos to plan their next trip and perfect their downward dog poses.

Smoothie the Cat – @smoothiethecat

Fans of impossibly fluffy fur will marvel at Smoothie who, in addition to having long luxurious locks, has unusually dark emerald green eyes that pop in contrast to her orange and tan high and low lights. Smoothie’s fans can express their fandom for her through purchasing merchandise in the form of calendars and bright green knee socks with Smoothie herself printed on the ankles—an accessory which will surely brighten anyone’s day.

Suki the Adventure Cat – @sukiicat

A three-year-old Bengal cat from Alberta, Canada, Suki travels the world with her human owner Martina Gutfreuend on a harness and leash. Suki has traveled to thirteen countries in North American and Europe and is most often photographed in inspiring outdoor locations contrasted against her iconic Bengal markings and bright green eyes. Suki’s owner also has an Etsy shop full of merchandise to keep people inspired to keep adventuring including t-shirts, phone cases, stickers, mugs, posters, and more.

The Cat Named Carrot – @the_cat_named_carrot

Carrot is a massive orange tabby cat raised by three young human siblings in Elgin, Illinois. Whatever the kids do, Carrot does too, allowing the kids to dress her up like a doll, make cookies in the kitchen, play with stuffed tigers, and go for walks in her own stroller. Carrot requested and received a birthday greeting from Ellen DeGeneres and has used her fame to raise money for the Children Advocacy Center, a child abuse prevention agency in Cook County.

TurboRoo – @turboroo

Turbo is a two-legged chihuahua who zooms around on 3D printed prosthetic legs and wheels. Born with a condition called bilateral amelia, Turbo was rescued by his owner when he was brought to a shelter as a puppy to be euthanized because of his medical condition which caused him to be born without two front legs.

With the help of certified orthotist and prosthetist Derrick Campana who created Turbo’s custom prosthetic device through his company @Bionicpets, Turbo and other pets with physical disabilities live better lives.

Venus the Two Face Cat – @venustwofacecat

If Venus’s DNA could speak, it might say: “Black, orange, why not have both?” Venus’s color-divided face is unique; the right side of his face is black and the left half orange with the two colors split symmetrically down the middle of his face. His diverse colorings stop there; Venus also has two different colored eyes; one green and one blue, and while most cats have either pink or black paw pads, Venus has both.

Born a stray cat on a dairy farm, Venus’s mother was a tortoiseshell and it can be surmised that his father was an orange tabby, but no one knows for sure. Venus was born with a sister who also has a color-divided face and other orange tabbies and currently shares his home with several other foster kitties.