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"
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
We Don’t Have Kids So My Wife And I Take Our Dog Around To Look At The Lights. He Loves It
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?
After Almost 1.5 Years Of Training, I Entered My 6-Year-Old Rescue Bully In His First Agility Competition. He Was The Only Pitbull-Type Dog There
Our Dog Has Hardly Left My Wife’s Side Since Baby Arrived. He’s A Proud Older Brother
Our Newest Rescue. She’s Afraid Of Men So My Husband Put A Blanket Down For Her To Choose When To Approach. She Laid By Him And Used His Head For A Pillow
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
Baby Otters
Been Feeding A Stray Cat For A Few Days, And Today I Let Her In The Shop Because Of The Rain. He Immediately Felt Like Home, So I Decided To Let Him Stay In His New Home
My Friend's Dog Found A Kitten In The Yard, Brought It Inside In Her Mouth, And Has Been Fostering The Kitten Since. Nobody Told The Kitten She Isn't A Dog Yet
"Today's lesson: how to bury your bones in the garden and chase cars"
This Is Heidi. Heidi Has Vitiligo
Perfect Couple
My Girlfriend’s Rabbit, Banjo, Has A Smaller Rabbit On His Nose
Athletes In Retirement
Big And Smol
King Of The Tripods. And This Household
My Own Little House Elf
Found This Little Trash Heart In My Work Dumpster This Morning
Last Time You Didn’t Believe Me, So Now I’m Holding Him Close To Myself To Show That He Is Indeed Huge
Two Cats Ying-Yanging?
It's A New Day, He Is Getting Bolder In His Attempts To Be My Cat
I hate to tell you this, but he's not trying to be your cat. He's trying adopt you as his human (staff).
Cozy Cats' Family
A Story About Crisps In 4 Parts
The dog has good taste in crisps! Prawn cocktail are the best
My 7-Month-Old Son Was Sitting Playing When My Wife's Great Pyreneese Walked Up And Sat Beside Him. One Of The Greatest Moments
Today His Intrusive Thoughts Won After 2 Years Of Fighting The Urge To Jump In
Fluffy Highland Cattle Calf
As You Can Probably Tell, I Am Thrilled With Our New Opossum At Work
Annie Turns 15 And Gets A Steak
It Is Windy Today
My Kitties (Brothers, 10 Months) Are So Connected. They Always Do The Same Things. So Cute
My Cat Ralf And I In The Same Place, 20 Years Later. She Was A Bit Grumpy During The Photo Shoot
He Wouldn't Eat When Fed Elsewhere, But Started Eating When Placed Among The Grownups
A Very Happy 14th Birthday To My Biggest Puppy, Bailey
My Wife Operating On Our Boy's Best Friend. He Is Making Sure Everything Is Going Well
Good Job, Momma. We Weren’t Expecting 3
Christmas Eve Visitor
He Has His Thinking Rat On
Spike, My Cardinal Buddy Came To Visit Me Today
My Roommate Took Her Samoyed To A Color Run
My Sister's Goat Had A Baby Today And The Chickens Came To Say Hello
The Veterinarian Said He Needed To Lose Weight. I Present To You, Dechonkified Chester. He Didn't Like The Journey But Never Takes Food For Granted After The Diet
Here Is A Possum Meeting A Santa
Baby Deer... So Tiny
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Tiny Fuzzbutt Climbs On Me All The Time
"We Can't Keep Her," He Said. "Well, We Can At Least Fatten Her Up So She Doesn't Look Sick," He Said. Now, She's A Permanent Family Member And A Daddy's Girl
My Pup Sat On My Lap For The Entire 6-Hour Drive Home After Not Seeing Me Since January
Toby Snuck Out Early This Morning When I Opened The Door To Take Out The Trash. He's Back Now, And Very Remorseful
I got my first kitten in the summer. She'd sometimes have "accidents" on the carpet by the back door and I'd open the door and put her out on the grass. Time went by and it became a habit I didn't think much of. Until one morning it happened again. I opened the door and put her straight into snow. She had never seen snow before and she hated it. She never had an accident after that and she house trained her kittens too. The smartest cat I've had.
Good Thing Mom Has Milly Around To Help With All The Things
I Normally Feed Him At 5:30am. It Was 5:35am And I Was Still In Bed So I Got This Look
A Wild Rabbit Has Been Coming Around My Parents' House The Last Few Weeks. He's Getting Braver, And Yesterday He Met Their Dog
Someone Abandoned This Sweet Girl Near Our Property. She's Home Now And Happier Than Ever
Welcome to the pack, Thena!
A Few Weeks Ago We Found A Family Of 6 Living In Our Backyard
Just A Rat, On A Cat, Riding A Dog, Riding The Bus
I Started Feeding Bar Nuts To These Crows That Are Regular To The Patio Of A Bar I Work At. My Collection Of Gifts Finally Started After 3 Months
I Am Away For The Week And Our Pet-Sitter Sent Me This
This Is Jake. He Reigns Puppy Terror On The Lives Of My Parents
My Friend's Cat And Rat Are Best Buddies
I Work As A Dog Groomer And Got This Absolute Gem Of A Picture. I Laugh Every Time I See It
Someone Really Enjoyed Their First Groom
My Wife Is 30-Weeks-Pregnant, And This Is How Her Cat Cuddles With Her
Hostage Situation! This Is What Happens After Being Away From Home For A Couple Of Weeks
When My Grandmother Was In Senior Care In 2014, There Was A Support Cat Named Ginger. Today, My Grandfather Moved Into The Same Place And Look Who’s Here
Thought My Dog Would Be Depressed While My Girlfriend's Mom Watched Her For A Week Until She Sent This
Daycare Sent A Picture Of My Dog And His Colorful Bestie
A Snake Has Caught A Mouse. He's A Little Confused, But He Got The Spirit
This Cute Mouse
The Two Of Them Seem To Be In Love
My Wife Went To Work For The First Time In 3 Months. No Words Are Needed
Lucy, Waiting For The Fire To Start In Her Favorite Box
My Dog Charlie, Having Successfully Executed Her Masterfully-Planned Heist On My Seat, Performed In The 30 Seconds I Went To Get My Coffee
Uh, I think you have it wrong. Apparently, you were in his seat.
I Picked Up This Little White Boxer Pup Only A Couple Of Hours Ago. She Took To My Brother's Golden Retriever Instantly
Rescue Cat I Met Today At A “Cat Lounge” Shelter
My Dog And I Dressed As Scooby And Velma This Year
Rory Got Spayed And Gave My Wife The Most Unsure Grin
Trying To Come Up With A Band Name And Album Title For This Super Group
My Handsome Man In A Rainbow Spot
Griffey’s First Day Volunteering At The Hospital
The Two Men Of My Life Napping Together
Barney's First Visit To Bunnings (A Hardware Store In Australia). Dogs Are Allowed To Visit If They Stay In The Trolley
So My Friend Saw A Monkey Riding A Goat
People Who Worked At This Cafe Used To Take Care Of This Stray Floof. During Lockdown Almost Every Shop Was Closed, Floof Still Waits For Them To Open
Pretty Handsome For His Late 20s
Need Help Identifying New Bird At A Bird Feeder. Wrong Answers Only
My Grandma's Ducks Hatched Next To Two Turtles And They Think The Turtles Are Their Parents
I could think of worse things they could have imprinted on, lol.
My Wife Gave Birth 1 Week Ago And Is Finally Able To Sleep On Her Back. Our Kitty Couldn’t Be More Thrilled To Have Her Happy Place Back
In addition, it will allow her to recover more quickly: cats are born healers.
Put Your Shoes Back On, Please
This Good Girl Wandered Into My Gym This Morning
Odin Brought Me Almost Every Single One Of His Toys This Morning
12 Freshly Baked Puppies
My Girlfriend’s Siamese Cats Sleep Together Like This All The Time
I Saw A Sleeping Bird On The Windowsill When I Left For Work Early This Morning
Just like the possum showed me. Slow breath and keep eyes shut.
Our Kitten Got Spayed So My Wife Bought Her A Sunflower Cone. She Was Not Amused
She Turns 15 In 2 Weeks. Just Got Back From Doggie Physical Therapy For Her Back Legs, And Still Wants To Hang Out With Daddy To Watch The Sunset
Wife And Pup Decided To Take A Nap This Afternoon On The Porch
Lilith, Clancy And Their 4 Newborn Kittens
Comet Is 4 Today
My Girlfriend's Dog Turned 6 The Other Day
He’s Such A Distinguished Gentleman
This Is How I’m Greeted Every Day After Work. Instantly The Stress Melts Away
It’s amazing how good having animals—-or SO, or kids—-who are so incredibly happy to see you greeting you at the door can be, especially after a hard day.
Had A Minor Surgery Yesterday, Luckily Peanut (Right) And Murray (Left) Are Here To Help Me Recover
I tore a tendon years ago, and had surgery that left me laid up in a cast for a month. The entire time, I had at least one cat on the bed with me 24/7. We had three cats and a dog back then. The dog would sleep through the night in his bed on the floor next to mine, and I would have a maximum of three cats with me. They’d take turns, only really leaving to eat, visit the litter box, and stretch their legs, maybe visit my husband if he wasn’t at work. But the vast majority of their time was spent keeping me company. I never got lonely that whole month, even though my husband could only take a week off after I got home from the hospital.
So Apparently In My Absence My Husband Has Hung Cat-Level Wall Art. So Sophisticated
A 23-Year-Old Chihuahua Named Spike Is Currently The Oldest Living Dog In The World
Rita Kimball found Spike in the parking lot of a Camden, Ohio, USA, grocery store, she had no idea the little Chihuahua would still be her pet over 13 years later - let alone become the oldest dog living.
Sorry Spike. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_living_dogs
Living Their Best Life
True Love Has No Boundaries
A Rat Riding A Cat Riding A Dog
This Snake Visiting My Parents' House
My Mom's Cats Watching TV While In The Dryer
At home in bed with a chest infection. This made me feel a while lot better!
At home in bed with a chest infection. This made me feel a while lot better!