Looking at pictures of puppies and kittens is not just a guilty pleasure. In a 2012 study published in PLOS ONE, researchers at Hiroshima University asked students to do fiddly tasks before and after viewing photos of baby animals. After seeing puppies and kittens, their performance on a tweezers game improved by about 44%, compared with about 12% after pictures of adult dogs and cats. On a number-search task, the improvement was nearly 16% after baby animals and close to zero after pictures of tasty food.
The authors suggest that cuteness makes people slow down and focus more carefully, possibly because it triggers the impulse to look after something small and fragile. It is a small study, but it gives you a good excuse for the next few minutes. Below are twenty-one photos, shared mostly by owners and rescuers on Reddit, with a little background on each animal and, where it matters, how to help wildlife safely.
Dogs and puppies with big personalities
1. The last puppy, numbered on her nose
A rescued stray gave birth to seven puppies, and the youngest arrived with a dark mark on her pink nose that her owner said looked like a number seven. Nose and coat markings like this are random patches of pigment, and many pale-nosed puppies darken as they grow. Photo: LolTurdFerguson/reddit
4. Oakley brings you flowers
Oakley, a fluffy golden retriever in a bandana, poses with a bunch of yellow flowers in his mouth. Retrievers were bred to carry game gently without damaging it, a trait called a soft mouth, which is why so many of them love carrying things around. Photo: dickfromaccounting/reddit
6. Found on the streets, now family
This brown puppy with oversized ears was found wandering the streets before being taken in for good. Her owner photographed her from the passenger seat, already looking at home. Stray dogs should be scanned for a microchip by a vet or shelter in case an owner is searching for them. Photo: elkabong1106/reddit
8. Mango's smirk
Mango, a golden puppy lying on a lawn, gives the camera a half-smile. Researchers have found that dogs pull more facial expressions when a person is looking at them, so a camera pointed their way may well be part of the reason. Photo: christina808/reddit
12. A Shiba Inu on a bike ride
A Shiba Inu puppy rides in a wire basket on the back of a bicycle, wearing a harness. Japanese Shibas are one of the oldest dog breeds, known for their fox-like faces and independent streak. A basket ride is safest when the dog is clipped to the bike with a short tether so it cannot jump out. Photo: Leo_pard_/reddit
14. Bowie comes home
Bowie, an eight-week-old golden retriever, sits on the grass beside his new water bowl on his first day home. Eight weeks is the usual minimum age for puppies to leave their mother, and many countries and US states set it in law. Photo: sampura/reddit
17. The puppy who loves the swing
A black-and-white puppy sits in a toddler bucket swing at a playground, front legs out and tongue flapping. Her owner lifted her out in case it was uncomfortable, but she kept running back and asking to go in again. Photo: furkix/reddit
19. Gumbo and his "baby"
Gumbo, a golden retriever, poses in a field of red tulips with a soft toy he carries everywhere, which his owner calls his baby shrimp. Many dogs form attachments to a favourite toy, and some, especially retrievers, carry it around like a comfort object. Photo: tenniswritercoug/reddit
Kittens and cats
9. The window cleaner
A tabby cat stands on its hind legs and licks the outside of a glass door, paws pressed flat. Cats sometimes lick glass for the condensation or simply for the texture, and from the inside it makes a very funny photo. Photo: ForbiddenCry/reddit
11. Leo learns to play
Leo, a ginger-and-white kitten, clings to the top of a sisal scratching post. Play is how kittens practise stalking, pouncing and climbing, and a scratching post gives them a legal outlet for their claws. Photo: OnesAndZer0s/reddit
13. Those eyes
A fluffy ginger kitten with striking blue eyes peers out of a cat bed in two shots. All kittens are born with blue eyes, because the pigment that gives adult eye colour has not yet developed; in most cats the colour changes over the first few months. Photo: Fomicheva1979/reddit
Wild babies, big and very small
3. A bunny that fits in a palm
A tiny grey baby rabbit curls up in a cupped hand. If you find young rabbits in the wild, the advice from wildlife groups is usually to leave them alone: mother rabbits visit the nest only briefly, often at dawn and dusk, so a nest that looks abandoned usually is not. Photo: DenMother8/reddit
7. Steve the rescued squirrel
This is Steve, a baby squirrel, on the day his rescuers found him, fur still sparse and eyes closed. Orphaned squirrels need specialised feeding and warmth, so the best first step is to call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator rather than raise one at home. Photo: Can-EH-Dian-244/reddit
16. A bucket of baby sea turtles
Dozens of sea turtle hatchlings wait in a bucket before release, and one is held up against the beach. Most sea turtle species lay around 100 eggs per nest, and on average only about one hatchling per nest survives to adulthood. Releases like this are normally carried out by trained conservation teams; hatchlings instinctively head for the brightest horizon, which is why artificial beach lighting can lure them inland. Photo: Redandbluemakepurple/reddit
18. A hummingbird, with a carrot for scale
A tiny orange hummingbird, which looks like a male rufous hummingbird, rests on a hand next to a baby carrot, with lake and mountains behind. Rufous hummingbirds are about 8 cm long and weigh just 2 to 5 grams, yet they migrate more than 3,200 km between breeding grounds as far north as Alaska and wintering areas in Mexico. Photo: upnaway_/reddit
20. A fluffy baby sea otter
A sea otter pup lies on a towel beside feeding equipment, apparently in the care of a rescue team. Newborn pups have such air-filled fur that they float like corks and cannot dive until their mothers teach them. Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal, up to 150,000 hairs per square centimetre, and the species is listed as endangered. Photo: daisyenvy/reddit
21. Who said badgers can't be cute?
A badger cub with the bold black-and-white face stripes of a Eurasian badger is held in a blanket, most likely at a rescue centre. Young badgers that lose their mothers are sometimes hand-reared by wildlife hospitals and later released. Photo: Leucurus/reddit
Odd couples and funny moments
2. An elephant at Hong Kong Disneyland
A sculpted elephant raises its trunk beside a waterfall at Hong Kong Disneyland, part of the park's jungle-themed scenery. It is the one non-living animal here, included for its cheerful pose. Photo: David Woo
5. "Hush now, Gregory, I am searching"
Two young painted turtles share a rock, one standing on the other's shell with its head stretched out as if scanning the horizon. Turtles often climb on each other while basking because the best warm spot is limited. Photo: Gracynvh/reddit
10. Everyone wants a bit of attention
A pack of white Samoyed puppies crowd the camera, with one resting its chin on the head of another so it looks like a fluffy hat. Samoyeds come from Siberia, where the Samoyede people used them for herding and pulling sledges. Photo: Angrysliceofpizza/reddit
15. Snuggles on a rainy day
A golden retriever and a lop-eared rabbit of almost the same colour cuddle on a red blanket. Dogs and rabbits can live together peacefully, but introductions need to be slow and supervised, since many dogs have a strong chase instinct. Photo: AustraliaPuppeh/reddit
Enjoying cute animals responsibly
Most of these pictures show pets in loving homes, but several feature wild animals, and that is where good intentions can go wrong. Baby birds, rabbits and fawns that appear alone are often being watched by a parent nearby. If an animal is clearly injured, cold or in danger, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or animal rescue for advice before you touch it.
For turtles, otters and other protected species, leave hands-on care to licensed teams; in many places it is illegal to handle or keep them without a permit. And if a cute photo has inspired you to bring home a pet, consider a rescue or shelter first, and choose an animal whose size, energy and lifespan really fit your life.
Preview photo: David Woo.
Sources: Nittono et al. (2012), The Power of Kawaii, PLOS ONE; Wikipedia: Sea turtle; Wikipedia: Sea otter; Wikipedia: Rufous hummingbird. Photos are credited to the owners and photographers named under each picture.
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