Who would have thought a website with such a silly name would turn the Internet upside down?! I’m talking about Twitter, of course. It’s changing the way people all over the world keep in touch, interact with customers, get breaking news, and even raise money for charities. Take @Romeothecat for example. This cool cat (well, actually the person who types for him) is rallying people on Twitter to raise money for pet charities.

A white-and-ginger-colored cat with odd markings, lopsided ears and a grumpy expression has become an online celeb with followers so devoted they eagerly await his every post and rally to contribute to animal causes he promotes.

Romeo the cat has, in less than three months, enticed animal-loving members of the Twitter community to monitor his every mundane cat moment (“Heard dishes clanking. Ran to kitchen. TUNA? No. Just stupid water bowl being filled. Boo.”) and in the process donate more than $5,000 to animal rescue groups. The rescued Romeo’s musings have created such a buzz, in fact, that national pet product giants Feline Pine kitty litter and Furminator grooming tools now sponsor the cat’s Web page, contributing bucks and products to his fundraising efforts.

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Most of the donations range from $1 to $25. And that’s what Golon expected. “Many, many people want to help causes important to them, even in this economy, but they can’t afford a big lump-sum donation. If a few hundred people give a dollar or so, that makes a huge difference to a rescue group, which ultimately receives $1,000 or more,” she says.

Over the weeks, Romeo’s followers — they hail from not only the USA, but also Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Great Britain — have organized online parties and other events to generate more interest and more giving.

See USA Today for the rest of Twitter sensation Romeo the cat raising real dough for shelters.

Way to go, Romeo!

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Tagged as: Cats, social media, Twitter