Tag Archives: Cute Animals

22 Ways Cats Make People Happier (And Healthier)!

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This guest post (and amazing infographic) was written by Emily of Catological. Pop over and check it out!

If you’re like me (or any human on the planet, really), you’ve probably had some negative thoughts creep into your mind about why things are going poorly, or why someone was mean to you, or why you aren’t living the life you always dreamed of yet.

Negativity can creep into even the sunniest minds, darkening your day like an overbearing cloud.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have something to fall back on when you’re in a mood like this? Something that you could count on to make you feel better?

Well, I don’t know how to tell this to you, but something like this already exists.

Cats!

Yes, seriously. Cats are insanely good at solving our problems, and have been scientifically proven to make our lives happier and healthier.

From helping us recover from negative moods, to relieving stress, cats can turn our frowns upside down. Plus, you get the added benefit of lower chances of heart disease and other horrible health-related maladies.

We started looking for some information to back up these findings, and stumbled across more and more reasons why cats are actually super healthy for you physically and emotionally.

At the end of the day, we came away with 22 ways cats help make us happier and healthier, all of which you can see in the infographic below, or by visiting the original post here, where we include sources and a bit more explanation for each point.

So, want to make things less crappy? Get a cat!

Ways Cats Make Humans Happier

Animal Friends

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It’s always said that dogs are man’s best friend. And while I whole-heartedly agree, this week, it seems that they are all-species’ best friend. First I came across Pumpkin the raccoon. Her owners found her as a little baby when she fell out of a tree. They kept her alive, and she bonded with their two rescue dogs. Now she thinks she’s part of the family, just like the other Royal Bahamian Potcake pups.

pumpkin-raccoon

Then, I see Kumbali, the baby cheetah becoming new BFFL with Kago. Apparently large cats in captivity have problems with anxiety, and a little dog friend can help calm them down.

It’s just too much cute to handle!

Cube Dogs

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I’ll just start this post off by saying that the Japanese really know where it’s AT when it comes to cute things. They brought us Hello Kitty and Maru. And now, ever the innovators, they are broadening their cute horizons to include animals of the canine variety.

It is now a common style for dog lovers to shave their furry friends into perfectly symmetrical little cubes. And the result? Well, it’s predictable adorable.

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Check out more of the adorable new hairstyles here, and here.

If I Were This, I’d Be That.

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I came across this post while I was looking for a piece on my old blog, and I enjoyed reading it so much that I brought it back for another time. What would you be?

If I were a month, I’d be April.
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Sunday.
If I were a time of day, I’d be sunset.
If I were a planet, I’d be Earth.
If I were a sea animal, I’d be an otter.
If I were a direction, I’d be east.
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a big comfy chair.
If I were a liquid, I’d be punch.
If I were a gemstone, I’d be a diamond.
If I were a tree, I’d be a magnolia.
If I were a tool, I’d be a staple gun.
If I were a flower, I’d be a snap dragon.
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be a sunny summer afternoon.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a bongo drum.
If I were a color, I’d be pink.
If I were an emotion, I’d be happy.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a pomegranate.
If I were a sound, I’d be a burbling brook.
If I were an element, I’d be neon.

If I were a car, I’d be a ferrari.
If I were a food, I’d be cheese.
If I were a place, I’d be the beach.
If I were a material, I’d be silk.
If I were a taste, I’d be delicious.
If I were a scent, I’d be gardenia.
If I were an object, I’d be a beautiful piece of jewelry.
If I were a body part, I’d be an eye.
If I were a facial expression, I’d be a smile.
If I were a song, I’d be soulful.
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be clogs.

Baby Alpacas in Sweaters

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One of the fun parts about winter in a big city is that all of the cute little dogs that people carry around in their purses get all decked out in cute little sweater outfits. But, if you thought that dogs in sweaters was the cutest thing you’d see this winter, you were wrong. During the bitter temperatures of that polar vortex the beginning of the month, an alpaca farm in Aiken, South Carolina noticed that their furry friends were looking a little cold – especially the babies. So, to solve the problem, they popped over to Goodwill and picked up a bunch of children’s sweaters, and slipped them right onto the little guys. They frolicked about with their mothers in camo, stripes, and polka dots, looking all sorts of adorable. Check out the full story (and more adorable pictures) here.

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Cute Animals to Make Mornings Less Painful

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If you’re definitely not a morning person, and love cute animals, then this Mashable post is for you. It pairs adorable little dogs and cats with sarcastic quotes about dragging yourself out of bed when the alarm goes off from some of your favorite famous people including Jim Morrison and Hunter  S.Thompson. While you struggle out from under the covers, to that first cup of coffee, check out the page. The pure adorableness of it all will make the daylight slightly less painful. While you’re at it, check out the cute animals category for more adorable stories to brighten your day.

Slothville

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When I was on vacation in Costa Rica, we saw a sloth from a distance in the rainforest, in a tree, with binoculars. And it was one of highlights of my trip. I love how slow t hey are, how adorable, and though I wouldn’t freak out quite as much as Kristen Bell, I would be pretty excited to meet one. If you’re a sloth lover like me, check out Slothville for a solid couple hours of video watching, funny meme, and cute picture gazing. You can even buy the book if you’re really hooked.

Menswear Dog

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There is an entire tumblr devoted to cataloging pictures of dogs dressed in Menswear. I came across the photos via Honestly, WTF of this dapper shibu inu, but if you check out the site, there is much much more where that came from. Hours of fun enjoying animals dressed as people! Adorable dogs of all breeds looking more stylish than most of the guys you meet in bars!

Baby Animals + You = More Productivity

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The Washington Post had to go and tell the world my secret to productivity all of these years. My whole life, I’ve been accomplishing a lot at a fast pace. When people inquire about how I get so much done, I just chalk it up to my natural impatience, and craving to just get it done and over with already. I’ve left out my secret weapon (though anyone who reads this may have already guessed): cute animals. I have a calendar with them on it, and follow a couple blogs that update their posts daily. I find it improves my day and my mood to take a couple minutes to look at a soft, adorable, baby creature, and now research confirms that it improves my productivity too (who knew?).

A study conducted by a research team at Hiroshima University had students look at images of baby animals before attempting a variety of tasks. In comparison with students who viewed a picture of an adult animal or a pleasing food, the baby animal group outperformed. Productivity was better for both genders, across all image viewing groups. What causes this effect you might ask? Well, as of now, researchers are not exactly sure, but they have a few theories. First, seeing baby animals invokes reflexes of communicating with or caring for baby animals. This can lead to increased vigilance, slower, more methodical movements, and increased attentiveness to protect against potential threats. These results combined = better productivity.

So, there you have it, a daily excuse to check out my collection of cute things here, or to peruse others here and here and here and here. You’re welcome.