Pet posts popular on Xiaohongshu

A large number of American netizens, the so-called TikTok refugees, have flocked to the Chinese social platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote), engaging in lively interactions with Chinese users.

While the newcomers are showcasing a variety of expertise, with some crafting handmade ancient attire, and others sharing original music videos, the most popular posts are the photos and videos of their cute pets. Chinese netizens have jokingly labeled people’s urge to share the daily lives of their pets on social media as “paying the cat tax.” As of midday yesterday, the topic #cat tax has amassed over 10,000 notes on Xiaohongshu, with a viewing count exceeding 1.7 million and over 50,000 discussions.