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35 Happy Animal Memes That Might Make You Smile

Giedrė Vaičiulaitytė
Community member

602

19

Having a mother of a day? Tired of the state of the world? Looking for something to cheer you up? Then look no further than this seriously wholesome list of happy animal memes. Compiled by Bored Panda, the cute photos below are guaranteed to turn your frown upside down.
And it's all scientific! It is known that petting adorable animals or even looking at one releases oxytocin - your happiness hormone. Besides making you happy, animals are also great at relieving stress and making you feel calmer. In short - the cuteness overload from these happy animal photos you're about to experience is even more positive than you could've thought.
But, enough of the sciency stuff. From smiling frogs and cutest dogs to friendly sea lions and ratatouille-loving rats, your troubles will soon disappear when you feast your eyes upon this happy and uplifting bunch of cute critters. Let us know which happy animal pics are your favorites, and don't forget to vote for the most wholesome ones!

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True Love

I need to give this more arrows

Sleeping Buddy

Cows are cute, gotta show them some love.

The Handsomest Boy

Awe this lovely guy

Why Do Happy Animal Memes Make Us Smile?

Although it might seem that these happy, funny animals make us smile simply because they’re so silly, the actual cause lies deep in the human condition. That’s right—happy animal photos and their powers of cheering us up lie in human psychology and behavior. Let us explain:

For one, humans tend to mirror the emotions they see. This is called emotional contagion. So, when we see an animal that appears to be joyful, it might trigger the very same emotions in us. Another reason why these happy animal memes are so appealing to us is the “cute factor.” Whenever we see a cute animal, preferably one with big, round eyes and fluffy fur, it instantly triggers nurturing instincts and positive feelings. This phenomenon, too, has a specific name and is known as the “baby schema.” And lastly, looking at happy animal pics provides us with a momentary distraction from our woes, thus relieving stress and anxiety!

All in all, happy animal memes might be the best thing on the internet. They can improve mood, relieve stress, and give us a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. So why not check out the rest of this list?