If you don’t have a pet in your life, then all of the cute pics of animals online may fool you into thinking that animals are just that - cute little ornaments that you have to feed. Pets are so much more than that, however, and any pet owner will tell you that they can be full of love and friendship. We searched various online communities high and low to bring you some of the most wholesome pics of animals that we’ve ever seen.
Scientifically, there are a few different concepts governing how we form relationships with the animals we love. One is their level of domestication – the more domesticated an animal is, the likelier it is to be able to form affectionate social relationships with humans. Another is anthropomorphism – our predilection for assigning human motivations and ideas to uniquely animal behaviors.
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Came Home To My Roommate's Dog Protecting My Kitten From The Loud Thunder And Lightning Outside
They're Waiting In Line
This Is Luna. She's Not Usually Allowed On The Couch, But There Are Bigger Problems In The World, So She'll Be Right Here If You Need Her
Human relationships can be complex, so arguably, inter-species friendships can be even more complex. Instead of people with different personalities, perspectives and experiences, we have all of that plus different species with different wiring and capabilities.
I Feel Like It Was Saying "You First"
Keep feeding him, feed his friends, make a caracteristic whistle when feeding them, if someone wants to harm you near there, whistle and watch the blood drain from therir faces while a murder of crows come to your help on command.
Corvids develop attachments. Never disrespect any corvid, they communicate among themselves. And they will flock up to defend an animal (you) that they consider an ally. Very few badasses maintain that attitude when the Corvids arrive.
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Same. And then keep going down to the waterfront with pastries to share!
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I am super blessed, I live in Cape Town, right next to a coastal nature sanctuary and have a pied crow couple living in a huge tree outside my front door. They have lived in that tree for a few years now and yes I give them treats. And at dusk I have tiny fruit bats that come for the insects and put on an aerial ballet most nights. My friend's daughter loves to pop in after work to come and enjoy the show. The crows and fruit bats are a tonic for any tired soul.
Oh, I miss bats! We have Hawks, eagles and other birds, but no bats!
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My cat bothered a crow and now the bird keeps following him around, screaming at him and flying mock attacks. The cat is so annoyed, I'm worried one day he'll just get picked up and carried away. It's been going on for weeks now.
If he's a tiny cat, maybe, but unlikely. Surly an adult crow couldn't lift anything bigger & heavier than it's self??🤔🤨
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My crow friends usually bring me sticks, only the occasional rock :)
Mine brought be a pork rib bone and a bright yellow candy wrapper.
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I have been trying to attract a crow friend for YEARS. I have instead made 3 squirrel friends at my office (Fred, Richarlison, and Neymar). They come to the window for healthy snacks.
I saw on a "wierd and wonderful" that this one girl befriended a flock of crows. At first they brought usual stuff like rocks and bones. But crows are very clever. They began bring her small plastic toys, marbles and flowers.
If you are kind, they will remember you and bring you gifts! Crows are great!
A magpie and some crows linger around our house and I desperately want them to be my friends. The magpie often sits on the windowsill in the first floor.. Any ideas?
*Feed them, if you can check which species they are ( australian magpies are diff. from european magpies for instance) Work out which food is safest for them. Bread can cause fatal problems with eggs in some birds. If all else fails ask your vet / vet nurse. * Either make a sound (whistle etc) or a regular time when you feed them. Do that consistently, be patient.
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I love this! I am dying to befriend a crow! i always put food out in my bird feeder, and extra on the grass in the hopes that a crow stops by!
I wonder what happens if you go away for week? Do they think you've decided to stop feeding them?
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I raised a crow. He was incredible....a very loving and intelligent guy! Even after he was an adult and I set him free he would stop by to eat and say "Hi".
He gave something for getting something.....crows are very smart! They can even remember people’s faces and mourn their dead. They can also figure out how to get a goodie to eat if placed in a line of several puzzles. They figure them out!
Hello, fellow Seattleite! (Although I now live in Springfield, OR)
That is so sweet I have been feeding the birds for about 4yrs now The crows swoop down and enjoy the food to. I have been waiting to befriend a crow this whole time amd they want nothing to do with me 🤣. Their one of my favorite birds and I can't seem to let them know, I am a friend, damnit, now like me back 🤣🤣
Awww I had a new house built and I was in my master bedroom leaning far out my window trying to retrieve nails that the roofers left and I couldn't reach the rest. I noticed a couple black crows watching me from across the road. All of a sudden they both landed on my roof and walked over to me looking at me with turned heads then walked over to the nails and took turns removing all the nails from my roof for me. I think they are smart and they saw that i needed help. These birds are intelligent and i think they are beautiful birds.
As humans, we have received some exceedingly precious gifts of love from animals.
This lil crow will remember your face for the rest of your life..crows are highly intelligent and they remember who has done them wrong or good!!
When a crow gives a gift to you it should be cherished! It was chosen especially for you.
I started feeding our crows because I thought they might chase the squirrels, nada..........I'm still feeding and each year the family grows.. Yeah and I still have the squirrels too!!!
I have heard that if you're good to a crow sometimes they will bring you cash money no questions asked🤑
Crows are brilliantly intelligent, proving we far overestimate our dominance over all creatures great and small. Hopefully we will realize how much we need each other on this planet. Bravo for the share!
I want a crow friend. I keep introducing myself to the crows in my neighborhood but I tend to be empty handed when we meet. I will be patient.
Crows ALWAYS remember when a human is nice to them. They also remember when people are mean to them. Be nice and to crows and all living beings for that matter!
I've heard some incredible things about crows. They are very smart.
Lake Union in Seattle? Our crows are super smart. I have a murder living in my yard. They demand food every morning like they are my chickens. I trained them that way :)
They will do that. If they accept you, you give them treats or whatever, they will bring you presents.
I've heard before of crows doing this. They're suppose to be an incredibly intelligent bird. Sometimes, THAT'S the problem. I once saw a story where a woman had an entire small box of "treasures" a crow, which she fed, had left her over the years. Of course minus the dead mice and so forth.
Saved a fledgling crow from my dog. I left him in my apple tree with his parents. They lived there all summer. He followed me for ages, even to work. Felt good to make a connection to a wild animal. Even if a crow.
Crows are very smart. My Aunt had a crow named Charlie. He would fly away and would return home.
Did you know that crows give females a stone to impress them?
Birds are the best sweetest little things I'm very protective of them and you can see why!
I hope you keep it. Crows are very special birds, it must be lucky stone!
Two Years Ago We Rescued The Dirtiest, Most Diseased, And Starving Tripod Dog. Today He Is Gorgeous
A Cat Misses His Sister. He Sits Like This Every Day For Half An Hour. Animals Are Similar To Humans
So sad, not the first time I've seen an animal mourn. Don't understand the assumption that only humans experience loss this way. Anyone who studies animal behavior would tell them they are wrong.
One of the most recognizable pillars of human-animal relationships (though certainly not the only one) is domestication. But how does domestication happen? We’re all familiar with the quasi-scientific story of wolves scavenging human waste and somehow gradually transforming into modern dogs, but how did that actually happen? One long-term scientific experiment in Siberia has shown (and continues to show) us what that may have looked like.
A Family Meowed On My Door And I Adopted Them
The Little Thing Might Just Float Away
She’s An Old Lady, But When She Looks At Me Like This, She’s My Little Kitten Again
Just like our 15 yo dog. He's got dementia, sick kidneys - but haves the time of his life in his last months... and we spoil him ❤️
In 1959, Dmitri Belyaev initiated a long-term experiment that would use silver foxes to explore how domestication may have occurred in other mammals from generation to generation. Generation after generation of captive wild foxes were selected for breeding based on signs of agreeability to human contact. Within the earlier generations, the selection processes were as simple as whether or not the fox chose to bite an assistant’s gloved hand or whether or not they could be trained to eat from an assistant’s hand.
Orangutan Jungle School
Nothing Like The Soothing Feel Of A Wonderful Furry Baby
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In a few generations, a broad range of surprising separate genetic changes began to take shape. In addition to behavioral tendencies, the foxes began to develop floppy ears, piebald fur patterns, adolescent features, and other characteristics that we associate today with cute and domesticated animals. And, most importantly, these once-wild and -fearful foxes were now friendly and eager to please, some even learning to play fetch.
My Girlfriend Put A Bird Feeder On Our Deck. This Bastard Ate Himself To Sleep
I Guess Not All Will Agree But I Found This Little Guy Quite Cute
I'm Currently In The Early Stages Of Labor And I Think They All Know It
As we’ve mentioned, domestication is not the only way that (once-wild) animals can form friendships with people. Some non-domesticated animals can also become friends with people under certain circumstances. One correlation is intelligence. Corvids, dolphins, and other intelligent creatures are regularly reported to understand human cues and form friendly, if not dependent, relationships. In other cases, wild animals with a natural tendency to form parental fixations or social relationships, like ducks, have formed social connections with people who’ve fit into their existing wild social behaviors.
A Real Gentle Giant
My Husband Comforting Our Kitten At The Vet
How My Cat Looks At My Boyfriend
Another common form of loose social relationship is when wild animals learn not to fear people based on simple reward psychology. In many national parks, for example, rangers caution visitors against feeding wild animals for precisely this reason. If visitors feed animals they see, the animals will learn not to fear people and to expect food from them, which can lead to dangerous situations.
This Is Truffles. She Works At A Children’s Optometrist To Help Them Feel Better About Wearing Glasses
I Brought One Of My Baby Bunnies To Meet My Great-Grandmother
Murphy, The Bald Eagle That Was Trying To Hatch A Rock, Has Been Given A Chick To Raise. Here He Is Feeding It
Many of the same ideas work for non-human inter-species friendships. Domestic animals are already well-equipped to form friendly and loving relationships with both people and animals, but what about inter-species friendships in the wild?
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Many such friendships are built on naturally occurring mutualistic tendencies. These are cases where certain species rely on one another to gain an advantage in their environment and both benefit from the exchange.
I Hope This Picture Will Brighten Your Day A Bit
I’ve Been Taken Hostage. Send Help
Sweet Support Dog Who Gives Comfort To Children At The Dentist, Priceless
One example is the oxpecker, a bird that loves to perch on the backs of various large mammals living in Africa. The birds find easy meals on the backs of zebra, wildebeest and other creatures as they feast on the various parasitic insects that these mammals attract. Their relatively gigantic friends also keep them safe from smaller predators, while the birds, in addition to providing a hygienic benefit, keep watch in all directions and can alert their larger hosts if any large predators or humans approach.
I Often Substitute Teach At A Small Farm Town Nearby. Here's The Agriculture Class's Current "Project"
She was born premature, close to 2 lbs when most are born closer to 10 lbs.
The Gang
When You Tell Her A Story That She Doesn't Understand, But She Loves You Anyway
Now That’s A Great Place To Be
Proton Celebrated Her Sweet Sixteen Today
Went To The Beach Feeling Bad About Having To Hang Alone, This Cutie Decided To Join Me Out Of Nowhere And Helped Me Feel Much Better
Precious Golden Retriever Allows Lost Koala Joey To Snuggle With Her
A lost koala Joey has been found snuggled onto the back of a family's golden retriever. The Joey is believed to have been lost and found it way onto the family's back porch and used the golden for warmth.
The golden is believed to have allowed Joey to spend the entire night on her back before the family found her like this the following morning.
Someone At The Purrfect Day Cat Cafe In Louisville, KY Filling Out The Paperwork To Take This Kitty Home
My Brother Is In Another State Right Now Due To His Job. His Wife Decided To Set Up A Skype Date For Him And His Dog
Love Comes In All Different Shapes And Sizes
My Cat Is A Very Proud Mom
He Likes To Monch. It’s Gonna Be A Loooooong Car Ride
My Wife's Grandma Passed In Her Room Yesterday With All Of Us Around. My Dog Always Protected Her While She Was Lonely. He's Been Looking For His Friend All Day
I Met This Adorable Guy Today. Cuteness Overload
One Of The Most Unique Friendships We've Ever Seen
Flat Tire
One Of The Kittens In Our Neonate Center At Work Decided To Show Off The Beans
Little Bear
My Mother Insisted We Put A Bindi On My Bird To Celebrate Diwali
I don't know a lot about bindis but I know that the bird certainly looks amazing in it
My Cat Showed Up At My House Like This Today. Apparently, We Have A Cat Lover In Our Street
My Wife Is Three Weeks Away From Her Due Date And Our Cats Love Snuggling Her Belly
This Is My Boyfriend's Office, He Works From Home. Here Are All Of The Socks She Brought Up From The Basement To The Third Floor For Him Today
Couldn't Figure Out Why My Music Kept Pausing
Note: this post originally had 150 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
At home in bed with a chest infection. This made me feel a while lot better!
~and in tonight’s news, Pandaville citizen GhostlySnail has died after smiling so much she broke her jawbone…~
❤️❤️❤️ In this world today we definitely need more of this. Animals Are the BEST, LOVE them all, much better than the so called human.
Since the owner willingly left the items in the home, He obviously knew that they would bling to whom ever purchased his home! The relativs of the former home owner has NO RIGHTS TO ANYTHING THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER LEFT ! I’d refer them to their relative that formerly lived there! If they continue to be a bother to you, go see an attorney, or the sheriff! I hope this helps in some way! Happy new home day! Debbe’ 💞
Usually on pages like this there are a few photos that either don't fit or I just don't care for. This time around it was 100% love all the way.
At home in bed with a chest infection. This made me feel a while lot better!
~and in tonight’s news, Pandaville citizen GhostlySnail has died after smiling so much she broke her jawbone…~
❤️❤️❤️ In this world today we definitely need more of this. Animals Are the BEST, LOVE them all, much better than the so called human.
Since the owner willingly left the items in the home, He obviously knew that they would bling to whom ever purchased his home! The relativs of the former home owner has NO RIGHTS TO ANYTHING THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER LEFT ! I’d refer them to their relative that formerly lived there! If they continue to be a bother to you, go see an attorney, or the sheriff! I hope this helps in some way! Happy new home day! Debbe’ 💞
Usually on pages like this there are a few photos that either don't fit or I just don't care for. This time around it was 100% love all the way.
