JENNIFER.NGO@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Sunday, 10 April, 2016, 8:53am
Brother Cream became a internet sensation in 2013 when he went missing from the Tsim Sha Tsui store where he made his name. But now business has been hit hard and Brother Cream and his owners have to be out by May 31. Photo: Felix Wong
First the bookings dried up, then the agent on a 30 per cent cut had to go, and now he faces eviction.
Discovering that fame can go as fast as it comes can be a painful experience, but Hong Kong’s most famous cat, who most definitely got the cream when he shot to fame as an internet sensation and best-selling ‘pawthour’, was taking it all in his stride yesterday.
The latest victim of an unforgiving property market, celebrity Tsim Sha Tsui cat Brother Cream is being forced out of the newspaper convenience store where he made his name because his owner can’t afford the rent.
Despite his best efforts to monetise the moggy, owner Bee Ko Chee-shing is moving out of the Mody Road unit where Brother Cream became so famous. At least three Japanese guide books list the shop as a must-see destination when visiting the SAR.
The days of TV interviews, mega-buck brand-name deals and an agent to handle his hectic schedule look to be in the past after the landlord decreed Ko and Brother Cream must be out by May 31.
“The business has been in decline for a long time, but most apparently since last October ... If it wasn’t for Brother Cream, we would’ve been done two years ago,” said Ko.
The 10-year-old British shorthair tomcat shot to local fame in 2013, when he went missing, sparking a social media frenzy. He was found after 26 days, when the fame game really kicked in.
As well as a lucrative Wing On advertising contract, Brother Cream boasts an impressive resume of jobs and public appearances.
Ko admits fame is short lived. “In the first year people were crazy, and they were also crazy in the second year. But by the third year ... there are a lot fewer diehard fans,” Ko said.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1934956/hong-kongs-celebrity-cat-brother-cream-facing
