'My Edinburgh cat is such a famous influencer I've basically become his assistant'

Jasper can do it all. He's a model, actor, urban explorer, Starbucks aficionado and has over 14,000 followers on Instagram. He is the mascot for a rugby team and has even conquered Ben Nevis.

However, Jasper isn’t your regular Edinburgh local - he's a cat.

Animal loving Marley Alva-Jorgensen, a veterinary nurse student from Granton, has 11 pets including a dog and eight rats, but the three-year-old chocolate ragdoll moggy is the superstar of the family, with a jet set lifestyle and several modelling contracts under his belt.

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But despite the fact he now earns more than his owner, the 24-year-old says she struggled when she first adopted the feline.

"When I first got him, he was tiny and his hair was silver," she explains. "I didn’t bond with him, he was just everywhere and quite an intense little kitten. He was super confident, which I found a bit overwhelming."

The student says when she began taking him outside, his star potential began to shine.

She says: "I just gave it a go really. I started by taking him on walks with my dog Xena and he loved it but was afraid of heights. So he would climb trees then cry like a Princess to get taken down.

"I read during lockdown that someone took their cat surfing so I was like I won't take him surfing but we could try something. I got the harness on him instantly and he didn't care about it.

The three-year-old feline, who Marley describes as "one of a kind and a sassy toddler” has modelled and acted for Lily’s Kitchen, Petfresh, network provider EE and even for a cryptocurrency company. He is also a mascot for Lismore Rugby Football Club.

The pampered pussy also enjoys trips to Starbucks where he has his own apron.

She says: "He can be very stubborn, but he is also the most friendly, sweetest cuddly cat in the world. I have never met such a cuddly cat."

“He almost had a part in a big movie last year, but it fell on his birthday so we had to turn it down. We went glamping for his birthday.

"I would love for him to be in a movie, he really enjoys being on set and photoshoots (even when he doesn't look at the camera!). I want him to experience everything he can and just have the best life."

Jasper started modelling and acting around a year and a half ago. "That was through his Instagram, he had over 10,000 followers at that point and we are over 14,000 now. He was found on there, and the company messaged us,” she says.

The model and actor loves zooming around on set and getting fussed over. Marley says: “He loves being on set, anywhere he gets the maximum attention is his perfect place.

"There was one time we were filming and he stole the director's chair. The director was like 'oh, I kind of need my chair back' and I was like 'why, what's wrong?'

"He said 'your cat's on it!' A lot of the time he does listen, but if he doesn't want to, he won't. and He didn't want to leave, so I had the embarrassment of trying to pry him from the director's chair."

Marley fusses over her pets, saying Jasper has multiple parties that his dog friends get to attend. She says: “One year he had three parties. One was Stitch-themed with his outfit and even a Stitch cake. And he goes all out for Halloween too.

"All my pets are spoiled, Jasper even has his own sofa with cushions everywhere."

Jasper has a full wardrobe with outfits, matching hats, bandanas and even backpacks which carry an important item for the cat - his inhaler.

The 24-year-old says: “I am studying vet nursing and I noticed he was coughing a lot. When a cat has an asthmatic cough, they’ll go really flat on the ground and stretch their neck out and cough. It’s a bit scary sometimes, to be honest. He has his own inhaler, and nebuliser chamber too.”

The student is also asthmatic herself. She says: “When we go hiking, we have a bag just full of inhalers!”

The feline has an impressive list of hobbies, and one includes exploring. Marley says: “Two weeks ago we were up Ben Nevis and he hiked with us, all the way to the top himself.

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“Nine-and-a-half hours to the top, he did take a nap. We walked the last two hours with him taking a nap. There were a lot of breaks and water stops.”

She adds: "I think Jasper is possibly the first cat to walk and complete Ben Nevis, I've never heard of another cat going up there!"

The active cat has a pet tracker called 'tractive' that tells Marley how much activity he has done. She says: “On average, in the last two weeks he has had about an hour and fifteen minutes calm and being still and the rest of the day he’s zooming about, he’s wild.”

Jasper enjoys being out and about, with his socials showing him at Princes Street Gardens, the Cairngorms, pubs including Malones during rugby season, at several cafes and even out 'clubbing' at Banshees Labrynth.

Talking about Jasper’s foray into acting and modelling, Marley says: “The first one we did, all he really needed to do was sit on a counter and look pretty, look left and right and that was it. It still takes like four hours for the whole shoot though.

"The last one we did was great fun, Jasper loved it. We were working with Fresh Pet and he was having zoomies. There was one point we had to come and find him.

“He certainly gets paid but he doesn't know it! I can’t say how much he gets paid for his fee, it does depend on the job, but it’s a very decent amount. I went to Portugal last year, it was great!”

Marley has big plans for her team of pets. She says: "We want to continue hiking and plan to go Snowdon next. I want to travel more with Jasper and go on planes but the UK doesn't allow cats on board so we are thinking of taking a ferry when we can afford it to France and then take a flight somewhere.

"My dream would be to travel the world and show him different countries. We have made Instagram adventure cat friends and one is going to teach me to paddle board and see if Jasper will join in which is gonna be exciting!"

Marley talks about what it is like having a famous pet and getting stopped all the time when she is out and about with Jasper. She says: "I love it but also find it stressful and overwhelming for me and my anxiety. There is times where we are just being chill and then a crowd will come or people are staring and will just come over so its not always a peaceful experience."

The student adds: "Jasper doesnt mind at all, he loves every minute of it!"

She continues: "That's why I love hiking with him as its calm and not crowded and it can be just me and him exploring the world."

Training Jasper has helped Marley so much in venturing more outside. She says: "I love it as its helped me a lot with my agoraphobia and social anxiety. Before Jasper, I could only leave the house for university, work, rugby and dog walking and most of the time I had someone with me."

She adds: "When I lived alone I'd get panic attacks after lockdown just trying to take the bins out. But training Jasper gave me a self esteem boost as I always felt like I wasnt great at anything and I always put myself down."

"But now I see how far me and Jasper have come in three years and it makes me really proud of him and myself!"

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