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We all know that our pets love us. They snuggle up to us when we’re cold. They cheer us up when we’re feeling down. And the looks that they sometimes give us can make our hearts melt—sometimes it seems like they’re looking straight into our souls.

Get ready to ‘aww’ and smile a whole lot because Bored Panda has collected some of the cutest and cuddliest photos of pets admiring their hoomans. You can literally see how much love they have inside of them by looking into their eyes. Be sure to share this list with anyone who needs cheering up and remember to upvote your fave photos. We’d also love to hear about how much your pets admire you, dear Pandas!

A lot of people like to discuss whether cats or dogs love their owners more because felines have a reputation for being aloof and independent. The truth is, neither cattos nor doggos love their owners any less because of what type of animals they are. Scroll down for Bored Panda's interview about bonding between cats and their owners with Dr. Kristyn Vitale from the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University.

#1

My Sister And Brother-In-Law Just Rescued A Kitten. Look At How Happy He Is! Enough Love To Make A Kitten Smile

My Sister And Brother-In-Law Just Rescued A Kitten. Look At How Happy He Is! Enough Love To Make A Kitten Smile

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#2

We Brought Charlie Home A Month Ago Now And I Can't Get Over That Look Of Pure Love In His Eyes

We Brought Charlie Home A Month Ago Now And I Can't Get Over That Look Of Pure Love In His Eyes

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#3

We Don’t Deserve Dogs

We Don’t Deserve Dogs

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"Our research has demonstrated that pet cats can form stable, affectional attachment bonds with their owners. The majority of cats have the capacity to use their owner as a source of comfort and security, especially when faced with stressful or unfamiliar situations. Our research has also shown that cats can be very social toward their owners, especially when their owner pays attention to them," Dr. Vitale from the OSU Human-Animal Interaction Lab explained to Bored Panda.

According to her, there's still a lot that we don't know about cat-human bonds. "Kittens aged 3-8 months and adult cats display secure bonds with their owners. However we don't yet know how long it usually takes for cats to forms bonds with their owners," she said.

"We do know that at least in kittens, these bonds do not easily change. When we followed up with kittens, 81% of them displayed the same attachment type as they had previously (either secure or insecure). If a kitten was secure the first testing session, they were likely to be secure upon follow-up. Although we don't know how long these bonds take to form, they seem to be relatively stable once established," Dr. Vitale added.

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#5

My Husband Couldn't Have Pets Growing Up. When We Bought Our First House I Got Him A Little Surprise

My Husband Couldn't Have Pets Growing Up. When We Bought Our First House I Got Him A Little Surprise

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#6

Just Adopted This Dude. His Name Is Tucker And He Is Good Boye

Just Adopted This Dude. His Name Is Tucker And He Is Good Boye

TheBelowIsFalse Report

She stressed that the best way to maintain a secure bond with your pet is to be receptive to it. Especially during stressful situations. "In humans, we know that attachment bonds can be impacted by how the caretaker handles negative experiences. So if you know that a stressful event is going to occur, such as if you are moving or taking the cat to the veterinarian, it is particularly important to remain calm and provide positive attention to your cat. This can help the cat continue to see you as a source of comfort and security."

Bored Panda also previously spoke to Dr. Vitale about her study about how cats can form secure bonds with their owners a lot like dogs and even human children. Vitale and her colleagues found that 65 percent of kittens were securely bonded to their owners.

A secure bond means that when a kitten’s owner returns to them, the cat will pay attention to them and explore its surroundings. On the flip side, an insecure bond means that the kitten is stressed-out, avoids its owner, and shows that it’s anxious through its body language.

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#7

The Way My Dog Looks At My Dad

The Way My Dog Looks At My Dad

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#8

Sometimes I Catch Her Just Staring And Smiling At Me. She’s My Precious Love

Sometimes I Catch Her Just Staring And Smiling At Me. She’s My Precious Love

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#9

My Brother Took Our Cat To Prom. Just Take A Look At How The Cat Stares At Him

My Brother Took Our Cat To Prom. Just Take A Look At How The Cat Stares At Him

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“There has been relatively little research into the cat-human bond, especially when we compare it to the number of research studies with dogs and humans,” Vitale said about her study. “So our motivation was to bring more knowledge to this field of study.”

She said that the “attachment bond” that cats display toward their owners is “very similar” to the bond that dogs share with their owners. “And even the bond human infants display toward their caretakers,” she added.

“All three species display the same distinct patterns of attachment behavior. The majority of individuals in all species are securely attached to their caregiver, meaning they use their caregiver as a source of comfort and security in an unfamiliar situation.”

#10

Just Rescued My Baby Girl From Being Put Down A Month Ago. Most Loving Dog I’ve Ever Known

Just Rescued My Baby Girl From Being Put Down A Month Ago. Most Loving Dog I’ve Ever Known

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#11

She Wanted Me To Stop Working

She Wanted Me To Stop Working

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#12

The Face She Makes When My Husband Holds Her

The Face She Makes When My Husband Holds Her

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Raine Soo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The expression on the cat's face is priceless! She is in heaven and she's adorable!

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#14

He Was Purring The Entire Ride Home

He Was Purring The Entire Ride Home

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#15

Woke Up Today To Her Just Staring Me Down Purring

Woke Up Today To Her Just Staring Me Down Purring

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#16

An Old Lady And Her Cat. Just Can't Stop Looking At The Cat's Expression

An Old Lady And Her Cat. Just Can't Stop Looking At The Cat's Expression

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#18

My Cat Never Leaves My Side. Someone Gave Me A Hoodie With A "Cat Pouch" As A Gag Gift. She Rides Around In It Staring At My Face

My Cat Never Leaves My Side. Someone Gave Me A Hoodie With A "Cat Pouch" As A Gag Gift. She Rides Around In It Staring At My Face

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#19

I Had A Fairly Rough Day At Work Today. When I Finished, This Sweet Girl Wouldn't Leave My Side. As Soon As I Laid Down, She Jumped Up And Hugged Me

I Had A Fairly Rough Day At Work Today. When I Finished, This Sweet Girl Wouldn't Leave My Side. As Soon As I Laid Down, She Jumped Up And Hugged Me

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#20

Me And My New Baby Tarzan

Me And My New Baby Tarzan

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#21

We Just Adopted Bella And She Really Likes My Fiancé

We Just Adopted Bella And She Really Likes My Fiancé

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#22

Meet Harper. She Likes To Lay On My Chest And Just Stare At Me Like This

Meet Harper. She Likes To Lay On My Chest And Just Stare At Me Like This

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#25

I Tried To Take A Funny Picture Of Her Chicken Wing Loaf But She Looked At Me And I Got The Sweetest Photo

I Tried To Take A Funny Picture Of Her Chicken Wing Loaf But She Looked At Me And I Got The Sweetest Photo

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#26

The Way My Girl Looks At Me

The Way My Girl Looks At Me

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#28

Our Wedding Was Canceled, We Are Worried About Our Family Members' Health. But At Least We Have Our First Family Member

Our Wedding Was Canceled, We Are Worried About Our Family Members' Health. But At Least We Have Our First Family Member

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#29

Get Yourself Someone That Looks At You The Way My Cat Looks At My Husband

Get Yourself Someone That Looks At You The Way My Cat Looks At My Husband

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#30

His Name Is Chief

His Name Is Chief

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the redqueen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Makes you just wanna love them and squeeeeeze them, and lots of fat belly scritches -they are the best things in life. Sigh. Love you and never met you, sweet puppy....

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#32

Sadie Baby. Our First Foster Puppy. Look At Those Puppy Eyes

Sadie Baby. Our First Foster Puppy. Look At Those Puppy Eyes

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the redqueen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nooooo....not the eyes! Don't look, don't look, I won't look, don't lo......Yes, sweet puppy, anything you want is yours...here, take my bed, I don't need it, yes, I will spend hours giving you scritches, here-you can has my peanut butter, let's go buy out Pet Smart, it's all yours......

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#34

Woke Up And This Was The View Two Inches From My Face

Woke Up And This Was The View Two Inches From My Face

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#35

Mitus Loving Grandma. He Is So Gentle With Her But Crazy Hyper With Anyone Else

Mitus Loving Grandma. He Is So Gentle With Her But Crazy Hyper With Anyone Else

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Lucas
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some dogs just know when to be gentle. My friends had a two year old girl and a madcap terrier who would ping around the house bouncing off people - she always bounced off the little girl very, very gently. A tiny touch of paws up on the little girl's chest and then a bounce away. Was adorable.

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#36

The Way She Looks At Me

The Way She Looks At Me

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Dorothy Parker
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She makes you want to be a better man. Even though she already knows you're the best. And by the way, she's gorgeous.

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#37

I'm Just Third Wheeling My Boyfriend And Darlene As Usual

I'm Just Third Wheeling My Boyfriend And Darlene As Usual

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#38

Get You A Man Who Looks At You The Way This Chonker Looks At My Dad

Get You A Man Who Looks At You The Way This Chonker Looks At My Dad

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#39

Maybe I'm Being Paranoid But I Think She's Flirting With My Boyfriend

Maybe I'm Being Paranoid But I Think She's Flirting With My Boyfriend

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#40

Simon, My Very Best Boy

Simon, My Very Best Boy

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Note: this post originally had 97 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.