Puppies, kitties, parrots, squirrels, and other critters, just like people, come in all forms and sizes. However, one particular shape has earned itself almost a cult-like status on the internet.
There's a subreddit called 'Round Animals' and its 35K members, who dub themselves 'spherical beasts,' absolutely adore these endearing creatures. They share pictures that capture the charm of these round companions, and clicking through the images, we thought that you'd enjoy them too.
So open your hearts and continue scrolling to enter this digital sanctuary and meet its inhabitants.
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Gaze Long Enough Into The Abyss, Eventually The Abyss Gazes Back
Guys Look At This Furry Ping-Pong Ball I Saw On Twitter 😭
There might be a psychological explanation as to why we find these creatures so adorable.
One study from 2007 found that the amygdala, a part of the brain that is involved in processing fear, reaches significantly higher activation levels when a person is shown pictures of sharp everyday objects (e.g., angular corners of a sofa) compared with their curved contour counterparts.
So we might perceive round animals as less dangerous.
Geometric Near-Perfection
Very Loud And Very Round
Google data designer Manuel Lima believes the reason for this comes from our days as cave people.
"[Circles are] softer, they provide some safety, as opposed to angular shapes–the teeth of an animal, the hard shape of a rock. Those are signifiers of danger," he once told Fast Company.
The Takahē Is A Flightless Bird Native To New Zealand That Was Once Thought Extinct
Round Bearded Roundling (Panurus Biarmicus), Being Round
Winter
Arctic Hares
Other research also supports the notion that we connect the shape with happiness.
In 1978, psychologist John N. Bassili conducted an experiment in which he added luminescent dots to the participants' faces.
When the people were asked to perform expressions of happiness, the dots would form into curvilinear, upward, open shapes, while expressions of anger created downward, angular forms.
University Of Michigan Squirrel
A Smol Boll
This Cross-Eyed Cat Laying On A Watermelon
No Talk Me. I'm Angry
Lima's last theory also talks about the curved shape of the human eye, which slightly distorts the world at the edges of the "frame"–similar to the distortions in a crystal ball or a fish-eye lens, though not quite so exaggerated.
Circular shapes tend to complement this physical construction of the eye. “[Circles] fit so well into that visual apparatus,” he said.
Sphere
He Looks Like He's Wearing A Little Necktie
Oddly Thicc Chinchilla
The subreddit 'Round Animals' was created in 2018, the same year when AV Club ran an article on them too.
In it, writer Clayton Purdom said these critters' cuteness is "defined not by their species, nor by some abstract spiritual quality," but it transcends the regular characteristics and, "like the true nature of pi," remains universal.
We couldn't agree more!
Round Doggo
Not Perfectly Round, But She’s Trying Her Best
Perfectly Round, As All Things Should Be
Should be used in maths classes to demonstrate the concept of "roundness."
Bunny
Duck Boi Round Boi
Round Little Dude
Its Probably Been Posted But I Give You: The Bearded Reedling
Wow, on second glance, the black spots actually look like 2 birds aswell!
Snoozle
Chonkchilla
My Frog Baja Blast Looking Round
Round Haircuts! :)
Weighing The Borb
One Lorge Echidna
Assume The Cat Is A Sphere
A Very Round Duck I Encountered At The Weekend
Ha! I wasn't born yesterday. That's bread with a duck head stuck to it.
Just Some Round Pigs!
Puppy Donut - The Day She Arrived And Stole My Heart
Oops, there I go again! *a puddle of goo from cuteness overload* It's okay, I've got my bucket now. 👍
Been Told To Add My Baked Bean To The Page
I Feel Like The Luckiest Human Alive To Photograph This
Biggus Boi
She Ate Last Night And Is In Full Orb Mode Now
Say Hi To Gertrudis
Creamy Roundie!!!
Your mine now I'm kidnapped you your new name is cotten now your going to live in my house FOREVER
Round Hampter
The Perfect Circle
Round Netherlands Dwarf Bunny
Sesame Is The Happiest And Roundest Poodle Ever
Wasabi, A Pekingese, Winner Of Best In Show At The Westminster Dog Show
Round Sophie
Note: this post originally had 80 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
What a great page! The majority of responders are happy with the pictures, no one is bitching about their toxic family, there is no AITA, no TikTok, no advertising, and no age or gender shaming. It's almost like this is exactly what people want when they come to Bored Panda. 🤔
and I got to see pictures of my WHOLE extended family!
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Disappointed that Osaka Zoo's squashy seal didn't feature once - DqDZleIUcAEGlLW.jpeg 
Look at my teacher’s doggo’s perfect hairstyle btw
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What a great page! The majority of responders are happy with the pictures, no one is bitching about their toxic family, there is no AITA, no TikTok, no advertising, and no age or gender shaming. It's almost like this is exactly what people want when they come to Bored Panda. 🤔
and I got to see pictures of my WHOLE extended family!
Load More Replies... Disappointed that Osaka Zoo's squashy seal didn't feature once - DqDZleIUcAEGlLW.jpeg
Look at my teacher’s doggo’s perfect hairstyle btw
Load More Replies...