A woman in China has decided to give her $2.8 million (£2.2m) fortune to her pets — in an apparent attempt to write her three children out of her will.
Leaving her furry family plenty of money for catnip and chew toys, the elderly Shanghai native, Liu, made the dramatic decision after being neglected by her adult children.
Reportedly angry at them for failing to visit her even when she was ill, Liu resorted to extreme measures to teach them a lesson.
The South China Morning Post reported that Liu had left up to 20 million yuan for the care of her cats and dogs and their offspring because they had kept her company.
The report also said that she wanted to give all her money to her pets — but this is not legal in China.
A local animal clinic has been appointed to manage Liu's inheritance and care for her pets after her death.
The report said it was unknown whether any of her wealth would be distributed to her human family members.
Despite being resolute in her decision, Liu's children may reportedly challenge her decision made in the will written three years ago.
A Beijing official called Chen Kai told the South China Morning Post: "Liu’s current will is one way and we would have advised her to appoint a person she trusts to supervise the vet clinic to ensure the pets are properly cared for.
“However, there are alternatives to solve this issue."
Liu's story is not unique. There have been many instances where pets have inherited hefty sums of money after their owner's demise.
According to the Guinness World Records, a cat called Blackie inherited £7m when his antique dealer owner died in 1988. Blackie's owner similarly refused to recognise his family in his will, leaving most of the money to several cat charities.
In 2007, real estate heiress Leona Helmsley left around £9m ($12m) to her Maltese dog, Trouble, after her death. However, a judge reportedly ruled that it was too much money and reduced the inheritance to $2m.
In 2010, the son of heiress Gail Posner sued her estate after the late socialite left a £2.3m ($3m) trust fund to her chihuahua, Conchita. He argued that Posner's housekeepers had tricked her into leaving so much for the dog.
Gunther, the star of the Netflix show Gunthers Millions, is probably the most famous case of a rich pet. He was initially said to have inherited over £300m from the German countess Karlotta Liebenstein.
The unusual story naturally garnered much media attention before it later emerged that the story of the countess was a hoax — and the money was given to Gunther as part of an elaborate tax avoidance plot.
