Aren’t puppies just the cutest?
Kittens too, of course! And panda cubs, and penguin chicks, maggots?
Eh, not so much.
But these furry little meerkats? Absolutely!
So here’s a curious question:
Why do we find baby animals so cute?
To figure this one out, just look at a human baby!
When they’re born, babies are completely helpless.
We need to do everything for them – feed them, clothe them, clean up after them, and so on.
And cuteness is a way of encouraging us to do these things.
When we see a cute baby, it sets off a part of the brain that makes us feel caring and protective.
This makes us want to look after the baby and keep it safe – a natural instinct that helps keep our whole species alive.
However, the same features that we find cute in human babies are also found in young animals.
For instance, large heads, big eyes, chubby cheeks and soft, rounded bodies.
So when we see baby animals with cute features like these it makes us feel caring and protective towards them too. Or at least want to give them a cuddle!
So that’s why we find baby animals cute:
Human babies are born helpless, and need looking after.
Their big eyes and chubby cheeks make us want to care for and protect them.
And these same features are found in other baby animals, causing a similar response.
Got it? Great – another curious question answered!