Jane Xue sent her dog， a 2-year-old Samoyed named OK， off to her first day of work in mid-September 2024. Her employer？ A dog cafe in Fuzhou， in southeastern China.

2024年9月中旬，简·薛（音译）把她的狗狗——两岁的萨摩耶OK送去上它的第一天班。那么OK的雇主是谁呢？是中国东南部城市福州的一家狗咖。

“I feel it’s just like parents sending their kids off to school，” said the Ph.D. student as she dropped OK off for her new part-time job.

“我感觉这就像父母送孩子去上学一样。”这位博士生把OK送到它的新兼职地点时说道。

Xue wanted her dog to “experience a different life，” as she and her partner are usually out on weekends. “Sending OK to the cafe is a win-win. She gets to play with other dogs and won’t feel so lonely，” she said.

薛女士想要她的狗狗“体验不一样的生活”，因为她和伴侣周末通常会外出。薛女士说：“把OK送去狗咖是一件双赢的事。它能和其他狗狗一起玩耍，不会感到孤单。”

Pet cafes are a big business in China. Visitors get to interact with the animals that roam1 the shop， allowing the venue2 owners to charge more for the experience. Customers visiting China’s cat and dog cafes usually pay an entrance fee， ranging from 30–60 yuan per person， or simply need to order something like a cup of coffee.

宠物咖啡馆在中国是一门大生意。顾客可以与店内漫步的动物们进行互动，这样一来店主就可以为这种体验收取更高的费用。在中国，顾客光顾猫咖、狗咖，通常需要支付入场费，价格在每人30—60元不等，或者只需要点一杯咖啡之类的。

In addition to being surrounded by playmates， Xue says OK’s job in the cafe allows her and her partner to save money. If they leave her at home， they have to run the air-conditioning all day， which gets pricey. “Summers in Fuzhou can be brutal，” she added.

薛女士表示，在咖啡馆工作除了让OK有伙伴陪在身边，还能帮助她和伴侣省钱。如果把OK留在家里，就得整天开着空调，这是一笔不小的开销。“福州的夏天酷热难耐。”薛女士补充道。

Xue’s idea might sound unconventional， but it’s a growing trend in China. Called “Zhengmaotiaoqian” in Chinese， it translates to “earn snack money.” The phrase stems from the idea that these pets are actually working—either part-time or full-time—at cat and dog cafes and then returning home to their families at night， just like humans.

薛女士的想法听起来可能不合常规，但在中国却是一种日益增长的趋势。