Tales of creativity and compassion

"Purrfect" protector

"Benmiao Jiao Tutu" — literally meaning "Meow name is Tutu" — is a vlogger dedicated to saving stray cats. He is so engrossed in this task that immediately after receiving the award at the Power Up ceremony in Shanghai, he promptly returned to Jinan, the capital city of Shandong province, to continue his work in catching stray cats.

The nickname "Benmiao Jiao Tutu" originates from his first cat's name, "Tutu", which is why many followers affectionately refer to him as "Daddy Tutu". Soon after adopting Tutu in 2019, he directed his attention toward abandoned cats, leading to his involvement in their rescue.

In his videos, Daddy Tutu amusingly describes the act of catching stray cats as "kidnapping" and portrays the rescue process with engaging and humorous narratives, all delivered in his distinct Shandong accent.

He is also known for giving rescued cats random and funny names. "This cat was caught in Building 3, so I'll call it 'Building 3'," he said in one of his videos.

This unique style of his videos has not only amassed a large following but also facilitated suitable adopters for the rescued cats.

As more people sought Daddy Tutu's assistance in aiding stray cats, he decided to leave his previous occupation in 2021 and become a full-time vlogger.

"I never intentionally scripted my videos," he said. "During the rescue process, I focused solely on the task at hand. Only afterward, I would find a way to transform the recorded video clips into an engaging story."

He established three guiding principles for his videos: adherence to facts, avoidance of eliciting sympathy, and the creation of interesting content.

Capturing homeless cats is a risky task. In fact, right before attending the Power Up ceremony, Daddy Tutu was bitten by a cat despite wearing protective gloves. In his videos, he consistently emphasizes the importance of self-protection when aiding these felines.

There are currently over 10 people on his team, spanning various age groups: Daddy Tutu belongs to the post-80s generation while most team members are from Generation Z. Daddy Tutu's friend, known by the pseudonym "Maodaodao", is from the post-60s generation and has also joined their efforts. "After turning 50, I wanted to pursue something I truly like. But it seems that I've increased the team's average age," he joked.

To enhance their ability to professionally aid stray cats, team members have studied cat behavior, psychology, as well as the habits and history of cats.

Daddy Tutu and his team have so far assisted over 700 cats, rescuing nearly 400 of them last year alone. Substantial expenses, including medical care and feeding, have become a huge burden. Despite having a partnership with a pet hospital that allows for a significant discount, they spent at least 400,000 yuan ($55,680) solely on medical care last year.

After receiving essential medical treatment and undergoing neutering, the rescued cats are taken to Daddy Tutu's shelter, where they learn to socialize with humans. This unique approach has led to the team being affectionately referred to as the "Cat Academy" by their followers.

The team also seeks suitable adopters who meet the adoption criteria and conducts follow-up visits to ensure proper care.

"For cats unable to establish trust with humans and unwilling to stay at the shelter, we release them back into their familiar environment after neutering," Daddy Tutu said. Due to illness or other reasons, some cats remain in the shelter as they are unsuitable for release into the wild.

"Rescuing stray cats extends beyond our individual capabilities," he said. "Through my videos, I hope to motivate more people to pay attention to this cause."

In the comment section, followers nationwide have connected, finding adopters for cats in their regions, thereby promoting the "Adopt, Don't Shop" concept.