The Purrfect Nanny & Purrfect Pet Health Blog

In recent weeks, the popular micro-blogging site Twitter has received extensive coverage in the media. If you haven’t signed up for an account or have yet to check out the site, it’s helpful to think of Twitter like an enormous pool of instant text messages.  Once you join, however, the number of tweets (that’s what the individual messages are called) are restricted to only those you “follow”, or those who you sign up to watch.

While non-users may presume that Twitter simply enables narcissists to become more self-involved, Twitterers praise the benefits of participating in unique communities, without any of the borders of traditional communication.  The site has demonstrated particular utility in helping people foster relationships with others who share similar interests. 

You never know what you might learn, or who you might encounter.  Or, even what.  In fact, one of the most popular Twitterers is not even human.  He’s a cat.

The daily details of his life are followed by more than 820,000 people, a number exceeded only by a handful of celebrities, like Oprah and Ashton Kutcher.  In multiple messages everyday, this witty kitty describes his meals, his dreams, his adventures and his secrets.  Some of the individual messages from this furry flurry of tweets are so popular that they’ve made their way onto t-shirts.

While Sockington is just one of most notable of the companion animal entering the social media mix, he’s not the only one.  Martha Stewart’s French Bulldogs, Sharkey and Francesca, recently launched The Daily Wag, their own blog featuring exclusive information about their travels, their favorite photos and breaking pet-related news items.  And Facebook is even getting in on the act, now offering applications like “Catbook” and “Dogbook” for users to post updates about their beloved four-footers.

Ranging from the inane to the philosophic to obvious self-satirization, it seems that Twitter offers something for just about everyone.

So, do you still think Twitter’s for the birds?  Will you be one of the followers to witness Sockington’s meteoric rise as he approaches one million followers, and thus, stellar internet famedom?

Drop us a line at stories@healthypetnet.com and let us know if you’re Twittering or blogging about your best friends with four-on-the-floor.