Maro the Cat and His Instagram Account

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 18 November, 2023

There are people who become famous by making YouTube videos or through their pictures on Instagram. This is the case with the owner of Maro the cat and both she and her cat are Japanese. In brief, the cute pictures she takes of him took social networks by storm a few years ago.

There are pet guardians who thrive on humanizing their animals. In this case, Maro took it to a new limit. He poses as a feline capable of embodying a variety of Japanese personalities and crafts in his popular photographs.

The success of this Instagram account is worth a total of 116 thousand followers. This is a pretty good figure for a cat, or for any Internet user for that matter.

Feline landing on social networks

It all started with a suggestion made by a good friend of Rie Matsui, Maro’s owner. According to the young man, the cat has kawaii, a Japanese adjective to describe something “cute” or “adorable.”

This statement served as inspiration for Matsui to devise a photographic cosplay project where Maro the cat would be her star and model. She had everything she needed because she was already a professional photographer. In addition, she had a thing for showing off the culture of her native country.

So, this is how this rising Japanese tabby, nicknamed by his followers as “the cosplay cat”, began in 2015. What started as a simple compliment turned into something that went viral on social networks.

Exalting the Japanese tradition

Maro is probably the most famous Japanese cat on the planet. At first, his owner dressed him up in just about any kind of clothing that would grab people’s attention. Then, as time went by, Matsui focused on projecting the most traditional elements of Japanese clothing through her pet.

Nowadays, it’s normal to see him dressed as a worker or a sushi chef or a countryman. Something very striking is how this cat looks great dressed as both male or female characters. It definitely adds a funny element to his expressive photos.

The account @rinne172 is not just about costumes. In fact, Maro the cat is almost always surrounded by typical Japanese cuisine dishes. There are utensils, tableware, and many other decorative pieces that add a high artistic value to Matsui’s photographs.

What seldom changes is the way Maro always appears in the center of the photo dressed up as a cook. Looking as proud as if he were the creator of such delicious feasts.

Controversial images on social networks

One time Maro posed next to a group of Japanese sweets and desserts. However, that particular photograph raised controversy because, as we all know, the consumption of sugar in domestic animals is a no-no.

Some of his followers strongly expressed their outrage in the comments section. Subsequently, Rie Matsui responded that Maro never eats the dishes used in the photos.

Then there are social media users who question the practice of animal humanization for online promotion. In spite of its critics, Maro’s official profile continues to grow exponentially.

Why is Maro the cat so successful?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p613lXfeWPQ

This Japanese cat’s rise to digital stardom can only be explained by the unification of three influential trends in social networks: cosplay, food, and cats. There’s a large global audience that connects on the Internet only to watch funny pet videos and images.

However, it’s not very clear who’s more popular on the internet at a statistical level. Is it dogs or cats? There’s a battle for the attention of cybernauts going on out there.

Maro the cat is here to stay

The good news is, this oh-so-very-famous Instagram feline, who is now 5 years old, still has many good pictures and ideas to contribute. The Japanese government should be very proud of the cultural work that Maro, the cosplay cat, does when it comes to promoting the country’s heritage.