Even though their adult selves look vicious, baby alligators and crocodiles are cute in their own right.
Happiness is a warm and fuzzy animal.
Cockatiels. Affectionable and playful, easier to raise than other kinds of parrots, and they have a natural talent for whistling tunes. Not to mention many colors have bright red cheeks resembling Pikachu.
Why limit this entry to corgis? Let's give domestic dogs in general some credit. It's a furry creature which is almost always happy to see you, and it loves being smothered with affection.
Psh. Shelties◊ > Corgis. They have that facial expression all the time. Also, they breakdance.
Pomeranians. My God, the puppies. Ever wanted a pet teddy bear?[1]◊ [2]◊ [3]◊
Small greek domestic dogs! I mean, how can you refuse this cute look◊?! (Granted, most puppies fall into this).
Albino Pekingese◊ look like what you'd get if you cross-bred an Ewok and a bunny that was also the living embodiment of pure joy.
There's a reason vizsla owners often refer to their pets as 'velcro dogs.' Vizslas love to be around people and will stick very close to you, especially if they think you need cheering up or protecting (also, they're ADORABLE).
Westies. Fluffy white balls of cuteness and unconditional love and curiosity. They love people and have the sweetest eyes ever. They're better at making you feel better than any antidepressant in the world.
Alaskan Klee Kais, Lapphunds, and Pomskies. Alaskan Klee Kais are tiny huskies, sometimes as small as 9 pounds. Finnish and Swedish Lapphunds, while bigger than Klee Kais, are still adorable happy-go-lucky floofs, with the Finnish ones coming in all sorts of colors including husky ones and the Swedish ones coming in black. Finally, Pomskies (a very rare mix due to the circumstances involving them even existing; most pictures you'll see online are either Klee Kais or VERY young Finnish Lapphunds) are Pomeranian/Husky mixes that are even MORE tiny and fluffy!
Corgi-Husky crosses (sometimes known as Siborgies or Horgies) are pretty much the most adorable things ever. They stay that small, by the way. Forever puppies! In fact, just about any other breed mixed with a Corgi gives you what is basically a lower-case version of that dog.
This list can't be complete in any way without mentioning Bolognese puppies.◊ They are systematically amongst the cutest and friendliest dog races in the entire world, and it really shows!
Of course, most dog owners probably consider their own dogs the best/cutest/most beloved on earth. They aren't called man's best friend just for show.
True, true. But have you heard of Malteses? They're so perfect! They don't shed, allergic people don't have reactions to them (other than "Aww!" of course), they're covered in silky soft white fur, they're small enough to carry in one arm, and don't even get me STARTED on their cute faces! The only real downside is that they bark a lot, but they're dogs after all. All dogs are adorable, but Maltese dogs are the best!
For reasons very similar to the Maltese, the Bichon Frise. In addition to being white fluffy cuddle bugs with curly tails that are hypoallergenic, they can put on quite the show by walking on their hind legs! They make really good lap dogs, not to mention they are also pretty damn good watch dogs.
Record it whenever your cat has a sneezing fit. You'll be glad you did.
A litter of kittens, old enough to chase each other madly about. Running wildly around, stopping for pets at random moments, and then dropping into a kittenpile until they recharge for more of the same.
A kitten falling asleep on your arm and purring its little heart out. Annoying? Yes! The most wonderful feeling in the world? Yes.
Cats rubbing up against you or nudging you with their heads? A sign that you and them are BFFs forever.
Cats that you've had for a decade, long enough for them to get used to you, trust you, and love you.
Maine Coons! The Gentle Giant of cat breeds. Plus they are very talkative and love to snuggle up to their owners whenever they can.
Birman cats are also giant fluffs of cute! They are known for their docile nature, enjoying spending time with humans and other pets and just have great, relaxed personalities in general, let alone their beautiful blue eyes and their gorgeous fluffy coats! And their white little paws! And! AND! Bwah! Just SO cute!◊
Calico cats are distinguished by their spots of orange/brown, black, and white fur. It's a very relaxing color palette.
Want to spend time with cats, but you can't adopt one (due to an allergic or cat-repulsed housemate, your landlord having a "no pets" policy, or a concern that you won't make a good pet owner) and you don't have local friends with cats to visit? Cat lounges and cafes exist for this reason. Usually for a time-based rate, you can spend time interacting with a variety of cats and enjoy a few snacks or coffeehouse drinks with them. Many of these businesses are also cat shelters and adoption centers, for those who are able to adopt a cat or have to give theirs up.
The "cat loaf" position, in which the cat sits with its paws tucked. Not only does it look adorable, it also indicates that the cat is feeling comfortable and safe (hence why their paws, and by extension their claws, are retracted). You can find several variants of this position here.
Superstitions aside, you can never go wrong with with a cuddly black cat.
In general a cat's purr is this. The sound itself is incredibly relaxing to the point that it is recognized a great stress reliever (for both humans and cats), not to mention it is typically a tell-tale sign that a cat is at ease.
Cats will also sometimes purr in order to calm themselves down. Interesting what frequencies can do...
Pet rats. Imagine a big, hyperactive mouse that can rest in a scarf and eat practically any human food from pasta to hamburgers. Now realize that this animal has little rounded ears & beady little eyes. Now think of the fact that you can take this critter on a walk around your house, teach it to recognize words, and often give mischievous, playful grins as they scamper about you, each other, and your furniture. In fact, Rupert Grint adopted Scabbers after filming because rats can be That. Damn. Cute.
Chinchillas. They're essentially a mix of squirrels and bunnies, with the softest fur ever made. Just look at them!◊
Gizzmo the Fennec Fox pup, and his cat and dog friends.
Hamsters. Especially teddy bear hamsters◊ (the ones with really long fur). I mean, just look at the cute little thing! They're very cute when you put one in a plastic hamster ball and let it roll around on the floor. My mother once watched my hamster do that, and she decided, "You know, if you're depressed, you should just get a hamster." Not without reason did she say that.
Butterflies. They're just so pretty and magical. Something about the patterns on their wings is mesmerizing.
This puppy and its whistle. It makes you realize that the good things in life are sometimes the smallest.
Foals. Everything about them, with their small knobby little legs and their little hobble walk. So cute.
Baby anythings. Consider these◊ babies◊ to what an adult cobra and anglerfish look like.
Here are a couple of cute◊ things◊. (That last is a mouse deer, which are a whole category of adorable all on their own.)
Fireflies. Going outside during summertime, just as darkness is falling, and watching all the slow-moving, flashing bugs. They make me think of stars on earth.
Watching a little fawn take its first wobbly steps, first faceplant, and then get back up and start running.
Penguins. Those cute flightless birds that look like people wearing tuxedoes and have no natural fear of humans.
Day geckos are quite cute and all too eager to accept a sweet treat. They can even be trained to take insects from your fingers with relative ease, be they wild or captive.
Squirrels. Watching those cute, furry little bushy-tailed critters timidly running away from people on the ground, and then leaping fearlessly between high tree branches is always nice.
Manatees. Fat, blubbery sea creatures who, despite their girth, are one of the most gentle animals under the sea. And they're just adorable.
This Eastern Screech Owl. Its tiny little call is the most adorable thing, only to be topped off by the fact its entire body literally vibrates as it makes its call!
Going to a natural history museum as an adult, looking at all of the dinosaur displays, and getting flashes of that "Dinosaurs are/were really big and really cool!" sense of wonder and awe from when you were a child. Even better if you can watch actual children demonstrating it with big smiles on their faces.
Hell, there are people who spend their entire career studying dinosaurs (who do you think dug them up and brought them there?) so clearly, there is no age limit in being enthralled by dinosaurs.
Silkie chickens! They are super soft, super fluffy fowl that are very friendly with people and take in all sorts of abandoned baby animals as their own.
Snakes can be cute too, even a mutation can show their cute side, and pythons◊ have what snake lovers describe as "puppy face". There's even a Tumblr Blog all about making snakes adorable.
Two words: baby elephants. There's something about a (relatively) pint-sized pachyderm that's totally irresistible. Maybe it's because elephants are such tactile animals and live in such close family groups.
Want to cure your rat phobia? Google "cute dumbo rat". All it takes is a change in ear placement to turn your dread into a living teddy bear.
Mercury the T-rex Cat. Even though he's lost his two front paws, he hasn't let that get him down or stop him in anyway. Plus, T-rex kitty! How is that not cute?
Story of kitten, a recap/"best-of" montage of 99 previous videos about a cat named Fuchagi whose owner found him on the back of his truck as a small kitten, and adopted him as his own.
This photographer rescued a little black cat from a shelter. He also happens to be an amateur rock climber and when he noticed his cat's natural climbing abilities, brought her along to his climbing adventures and it is adorable.
Boots the dog is a "kitten nanny" that spends one day a week with rescue kittens, helping them get used to dogs and making sure they have a wider range of homes to go to when they're eligible for adoption. The photos of him with his charges are absolutely adorable.
This video where a cat plays with a pod of dolphins.
Because cheetahs are a naturally anxious and endangered species, some zoos and other habitats give the big cats their own emotional support dogs to help in getting them to grow more social. Thepictures◊ areADORABLE.
Miscellanous
A baby's smile or laugh.
Also, a baby sleeping. They look so peaceful...
Your infant managing to fall asleep in the safety of your arms.
A baby reaching for you.
Children in general, for anyone who likes kids. Even seeing a surly teenager sleeping like an angel is heartwarming for some people.
Mom's cookies. Especially freshly made after a bad day.
Home cooking in general just has an extra level of warmth to it, especially in the case of dishes that were passed down from generation to generation.
The feeling of belonging. Especially after being the loner for so long, it's delightful and amazing to feel part of a group.
For a lot of people - conventions and other fan events. There is nothing like this.
Oh, conventions, most definitely. A whole group of people — maybe one hundred, maybe two thousand, whatever — come together just to adore the thing they adore. Everyone enjoying each other's spectrum of creative works, staying out until strange hours, having so much fun that some forget to eat and bathe (a sidenote: if you go to a convention, please eat and bathe.) It's hard to put the right words to that kind of concentrated delight.
On a different note, getting time to yourself. As someone who enjoys being alone, getting to sit back and just feel comfortable in your own skin is something I really enjoy (preferably with smooth jazz, the sound of rain, and some nice Chinese takeout). The feeling of self-value is something I think is very undervalued.
Stargazing under a moderately dark sky. Just looking up at the band of the Milky Way and staring.
The fact that people loved the Hubble and its images so much that they pressured the NASA management to get it repaired again and take MORE pictures is like self-perpetuating Sweet Dreams Fuel.
Cities. Something about these testaments to humanity's creative power can really give you hope for the future.
The feeling of discovery and learning, of finding out something that explains something else, that explains something else. The real world can be really cool too, it turnsout.
Snow.
This is especially true when light hits it just right so that it is sparking like diamonds.
Watching the galaxy rise afterwards (if possible). It leaves you with a sense of awe.
A full moon on an overcast night.
Sitting outside in early spring morning (like 4:00-5:00AM) listening to birds.
Reading this page after spending several hours reading the old War And Crimes Against Humanity page and and similar, reducing to tears from the sadness. I now have a smile on my face and tears of heartwarming.
The feeling of gratitude that seems to radiate from people after you've organised something, or just done something for them in general.
Christmas morning. Whether you're eight or eighty.
Christmas. Just Christmas all together. Just the time before it is the warmest, kindest thing you will ever feel. The decorations, the lights, the food, the music, the feeling of love and kindness and unity and peace. Every. Single. Little. Detail.
Going outside on a cloudless night, and as your eyes adjust to the darkness, seeing the millions of stars in the sky.
Freedom, a disabled bald eagle rescued by a wildlife sanctuary, later returned the favor by comforting her keeper as he recovered from cancer. The description of basically being hugged by a giant bird of prey is awesome with a capital 'aw.'
Knowing that, despite all the scary ass shit in the world (as demonstrated in the 'Others' section of the Nightmare Fuel page), there is a pretty, peaceful, colorful side, is good.
Reading scary stories, watching scary films, seeing scary pictures... Then remembering they're all fiction.
Listening to the music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra while reading the stories in their albums. No matter how dark it gets, it's worth going on the to end, because there's always a happy ending.
Stuffed animals!
Especially Teddy Bears.
As we know stuffed animals are a great toy to hold for comfort, whether you've been crying over a breakup, had a bad day, your hope came crashing down or if you're feeling lost and scared. Nobody is too old to hug a stuffed animal for comfort.
Or snuggling up to a real animal (providing it's a domesticated dog and cat that knows you, of course). Just having your pet be with you, feeling him/her breathe in content in your arms... it just reminds you that there's at least one creature on this whole planet that cares about you. After all, who else will take care of him/her?
The sight of a fully lit and decorated Christmas tree.....there's just something so magical about it.
Sunrises. There's something so wonderful about the promise of a new day and a fresh start.
Getting help from a stranger. Be it carrying your grocery shopping to your car, holding a door open when your hands are full, or picking up something you've dropped, few things are nicer than that split-second interaction that somehow manages to be so meaningful. Along the same lines, helping someone out with something, stranger or not, can give you a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Knowing that, despite all of the harshness of the world, there is Ubuntu.
Keepon, a cute dancing robot that can be used by autistic children to learn neurotypical social interaction.
Leonardo is a robot that is intended to learn from social interaction. He looks like a Norn (or maybe Gizmo) and is now apparently scared of Cookie Monster (and possibly other blue fuzzy objects). Who doesn't want to hug him?
Looking out at the grassy landscape outside of your back door if you live in the suburbs. The trees, the birds, the squirrels... And likely other wildlife that peacefully co-exists with you, especially if you leave food out for them. It can be truly relaxing and make you feel like you have a bunch of furry, feathery, and/or scaly neighbors that quietly appreciate the things you do. And it really highlights how utterly calm it is compared to the hustle and bustle of the city you're probably close to.
What about kisses, people?? Whether it's between lovers, family members (not like that, of course!), or between one friend to another who needs to be cheered up, the tender feeling of someone's lips against your face can make even the bleakest day seem brighter.
One of the best excuses to go to Pier 38 in San Francisco during the summer months: the harbor seals have migrated back and they have babies with them!
It's hard to tell if this is Sweet Dreams or just plain Heartwarming (maybe both!), but the moment where you fail at something you've been trying to do for ages and ages... and then realise that you did better than last time and you're so much closer than you were when you started.
Surprise birthday parties. Your loved ones go out of their way to show you how much they appreciate you, and go to the effort of keeping it secret, just to celebrate you and your life.
Really, any party thrown for you, whether it's a birthday, wedding, whatever.
Weddings. People decide, "You know what? I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you enough that whatever happens, wherever we end up, I want you in my life forever." That's pretty darn adorable. And taken up to eleven when you can watch one of your friends/family do this, or even better, two of your friends decide to get married to each other.
Beaches during the night, especially due to the soothing sound of the waves.
Bed-time stories. The plot is full of cliches yet those plots are enough for us, containing aesops to boot. We can have a good dream afterward.
Sweets. Ice Creams. Candies. Honey. The sugar intakes really makes us more active and energetic, kids or adults alike. But don't forget to not take too much nor forget to brush your teeth.
Warm foods and drinks. A cup of sweet tea or cappuccino always come to mind whenever someone has a bad day.
You may never have heard of Bernard Chippie, but this fine gentleman was in the news back in the late ‘90s for risking the loss of his job to be with his terminally ill wife.
Art. Just the simple fact it exists is a demonstration of humanity's imagination and creativity (although that's not to say this applies to all pieces of art...).
Two words: Bob Ross.
Making a new friend. Some people you'll meet will be rude, some will be neutral and professional to you, and some... you'll realise that you enjoy seeing them and spending time with them, and that they enjoy spending time with you and talking to you too.
That joyful feeling you get when you experience a really good piece of media (a book, film, TV show, video game, etc.) for the very first time. You're diving into a whole new world, and you're loving it every step of the way.
Sometimes, returning to a much-loved piece of media can be just as wonderful.
Watching and listening to the waves of a lake or ocean gently swishing around, especially when paired with clear skies or a sunrise/sunset.
Hugs. Whether you're in a bad mood or a good mood.
It's psychologically proven—the contact lowers your blood pressure and raises oxytocin levels (the literal "warm and fuzzy feeling"). That must have been the best scientific experiment ever.
Sweet GOD, corgis.
