UK-based company hiring personal assistant for office cat, offers up to S$170/hour

British company seeks personal assistant for its founder’s cat

There’s a new dream job in town — and it involves catering to the whims of a pampered office feline.

Aviamarket, an England-based aviation sales platform, has posted an eye-catching vacancy: a personal assistant for Jerry, the founder’s cat.

Billed as a “peaceful, flexible role”, the job ad — shared on the company’s social media platforms on 15 May — has quickly captured the internet’s attention.

Cat personal assistant role comes with generous pay

According to the BBC, the company is offering an impressive hourly rate of £65 (S$110) to £100 (S$170) for the role, depending on the candidate’s experience.

That’s nearly 10 times the UK’s average pet-sitting rate of £11.44 (S$20).

While the firm is open to hiring up to two assistants, don’t worry about clocking a full 40-hour week — actual working hours are expected to be far more manageable, between eight and 12 hours per person.

As an added incentive, Aviamarket is also dangling a £100 reward for anyone who successfully refers the purr-fect candidate.

Cat assistant to play classical music for feline every Friday

Most of the responsibilities in this feline-focused role resemble those of a typical pet sitter.

The assistant will need to feed Jerry milk and food twice a day on a strict schedule, brush his coat, and clean both his feeding area and litter box.

Beyond the basics, the role includes keeping Jerry mentally and physically engaged through play, as well as monitoring his health and behaviour to ensure he remains calm and content in Aviamarket’s Central London office.

But what sets this job apart — aside from the eye-catching pay — are the more refined duties.

The successful candidate will be required to play classical music for Jerry every Friday to help him unwind, and make a monthly visit to luxury department store Harrods to pick out new toys for the cherished pet.

Cat once helped founder close a deal

Since Aviamarket posted the job listing for Jerry’s personal assistant, over 250 applications have poured in.

Founder and CEO Viktor Martynov began bringing him to work after long hours and frequent business trips left little time at home.

According to Mr Martynov, having the calm, quiet feline around soon proved to be a morale booster for the team.

“Everybody wants to pet him and he also cheers up my colleagues, they have more motivation to come to the office right now,” he told the BBC World Business Report.

The sales team even started a daily ritual of touching Jerry for good luck before starting their day.

Mr Martynov recalled one memorable instance where Jerry proved to be more than just a cuddly mascot.

During a tense negotiation, Jerry climbed into a client’s lap and promptly won him over — turns out, the client was a cat lover.

The mood shifted, and the deal was sealed.

Also read: Japanese tech company lets staff take ‘beer breaks’ & ‘hangover leave’, has zero turnover despite low pay

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Featured image adapted from Aviamarket via BBC and @aviamarket.aero on Instagram.