Everyone’s favorite social media feline, Nala, holds the Guinness World Record title of “most Instagram followers for a cat”. Here’s what her moms have to say about it!

If you don’t follow @nala_cat on Instagram, you’re missing out! This adorable rescue kitty is the queen of positivity (and cuteness), and has become one of the most beloved felines on the internet. In fact, Nala holds the Guinness World Record for having 4,215,466 followers – the most followers on Instagram for a cat!

Of course, she couldn’t do it without the help of her humans, Pookie and Shannon. We spoke to them to learn more about Nala’s Insta-fame and how they feel about her record-breaking title.

AW: When did you start Nala’s Instagram account? Back then, did you expect that she’d ever have this many followers?

P&S: We started Nala’s Instagram in 2012 as a way to share photos of Nala with friends and family in Thailand. We had no idea her account would grow the way it did and that’s why we’re so incredibly grateful.

AW: When did her account really start to grow?

P&S: Nala’s Instagram account grew pretty quickly since the algorithm was different in 2012. Nala’s photos would often be featured on Instagram’s “Popular Page” and that would generate a lot of new followers. Once we noticed that was happening, we would post more frequently to benefit from the growth of followers. In the early days, the more you shared, the more you grew and that’s what we did for Nala’a account.

AW: What opportunities have opened up as a result of Nala’s Insta-fame?

P&S: We’ve met so many people that have added so much value to our lives through experience and learning. Nala has partnered with amazing brands like Guinness World Records, Google, Lyft, Stainmaster and so much more.

Nala also partnered with big cat food companies over the years and we learned so much through that. We noticed a void in the cat food market and decided to use our experience while leaning on the trust we built with our community to launch a super premium cat food company that focuses on pet health, adoption and rescue with nutrition at its core.

AW: What’s your favorite part about running her account?

P&S: Our favorite part about running Nala’s account is the people we meet. It’s all about community! Nala managed to build a close-knit online community that feels more like a family to us. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you believe in because when you’re on Nala’s account, all that matters is that you’re kind and supportive towards each other.

AW: When did you find out that Nala had broken the world record for “most Instagram followers for a cat”? Tell us how you feel about this accomplishment!

P&S: We found out Nala broke a world record in May 2017 when the Guinness World Records contacted us. We were so excited because it was so unexpected! Nala didn’t break a previous record — this one was created just for her. This really has been a dream come true and we’re thankful every day. Nala has brought us so much love, happiness, and unique experiences.

AW: Any big plans for her and her account in 2020?

P&S: In April 2020, Nala makes her very first literary debut! Nala has been working very hard writing a book called Living Your Best Life According to Nala Cat. She wants everyone to learn how to live better, and inspires you through her photography and sweet words of wisdom.

AW: What advice would you give other cat parents who want to start an Instagram account for their feline companions?

P&S: We recommend that you start by creating a persona for your kitty. When you create a persona, it will give your audience a personality to connect with. This is helpful when writing your captions and it will help you to stay on brand. Before we post a photo, we ask ourselves, “what would Nala say here?”

Create high quality content that encourages people to like and comment. The more engagement you get, the better the algorithm will treat your post. And don’t forget to use hashtags! Create hashtags that relate to your content and include hashtags that are trending. This will make your post more visible and reach a new audience.

Create a community by replying to your comments and build strong interpersonal relationships with your followers. Everyone appreciates a sense of community! It also helps to be active and consistent. Remember to follow, like, and comment on other accounts that you love. This will bring more awareness back to your account. Spend time studying your posts via the Instagram insights to see what time of day is best for you to post. For example, Nala’s posts do best when we share them between 7–9am PT.

Visit animalwellnessmagazine.com/nala/ to read Nala’s full story!