Animals don’t need a reason to be cute, but they take it to the next level when they want something from you. If you’ve ever had to deal with a somewhat manipulative critter standing there all googly-eyed, looking at your dinner, you know exactly what I mean.

Unsurprisingly, it’s mostly food they sell themselves out like that for, but throwing them a treat in exchange for an adorable expression seems like a fair deal. (Puss in Boots is far from the only one who can make people go ‘awww’.)

Choosing the most adorable one is pretty much impossible; the matter is just too subjective and they’re all just too cute. However, some people had a go at it and used science to try to figure out which one could take the title.

Money Beach revealed that based on the Golden Rule, cats are the cutest pets—their adherence to the rule reaches 46.5%. The runner-up comes extremely close, and it’s a ferret with 46.2%. The two are followed by rabbits (40.3%), hamsters (31.5%), and dogs (30%). 

But pets are far from the only adorable animals. Some representatives of wildlife look like something straight out of an animated movie. To be fair, quite a few characters in such movies are based on creatures that actually exist. 

Let’s take ‘Madagascar’, for instance. King Julien is a ring-tailed lemur—a native to the island of Madagascar, which is now on the list of endangered species. Another charming tiny creature named Mort is a mouse lemur, an animal also typical to the island, that is sadly among those at risk of extinction as well.

The list of cute wild animals goes far beyond delightful characters, though. That’s no surprise to anyone who’s ever marveled at the works of nature photographers. Their pictures include everything from quokkas to harp seals, and everything in between, all of which can melt your heart.

Their quality images often end up in wildlife-themed photo contests, which store collections that ought to make you smile. Some attention-worthy ones include (but are definitely not limited to) the British Wildlife Photography Awards, Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, and Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Looking at pictures of cute animals is not only fun but has actual health benefits as well. Research revealed that just a 30-minute montage of adorable critters is enough to lower one’s blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce anxiety. (Feel free to use this information if you ever need to explain why you’ve been scrolling through cat memes for the better half of the last hour.)

If you ever run out of memes or cute animal pictures, don’t worry, we’ve got plenty in store for you. You might like this list of very smol animals, these cute animals people had no other choice but to photograph, or these comically round critters that might roll straight into your heart. If you’re more interested in cat memes, click here or here to find them.