A Cuteness Kerfuffle of 32 Animal Memes to Lighten the Mood

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Apr 25, 2026 11:30 AM EDT

Animals, in all of their natural innocence, will always have a way of lifting the human spirit.

There comes a time in everyone's life when they come to appreciate the nuances and the special ticks of the animal kingdom. Whether it's sooner or later, I encourage every hooman on earth to marvel at the wonders of mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles of all sizes in the same way that our dear forefathers with a nature-loving spirit (Steve Irwin and David Attenborough, of course) would be proud of.

Whether it's because we envy their au naturelle lifestyle, their simplistic needs, or their constant urge to bask in the sunshine, animals have a way of speaking directly to our basal instincts. Yes, I do want to relax in a meadow like a happy, comfortable deer. Yes, I would like to play in the waves at the beach all day like a jolly dolphin. Yes, I do want to fly high in the sky above the mountain ranges like a wild eagle. And yes, 100% absolutely, I would cherish the chance to see what it feels like to be the beloved family dog.

While not all animals have an easy life, running from predators, foraging for food, and surviving each day, couldn't you argue that we, humans, have the same hardships? Humanity just complicates things by adding 40-hour workweeks, fitness goals, and laundry day chores to the survivalist's plate. It's for this reason, I believe, that animals are particularly captivating; their lives are so much simpler, and we crave that sort of straightforwardness.

Monkeys swing from trees, lizards climb a rock face, and trout wait along the lakebed for an unsuspecting meal, but animals are more than just the sum of their daily activities; they're the living, breathing spirit of nature and freedom.

Unbeholden by soccer tournament schedules or work meetings, animals live on their own time, playing, resting, eating, and sleeping whenever they feel like it. There's something intoxicatingly wholesome about animals, and their funny personalities go beyond the English language. Creatures don't have words to express themselves, and animals prove that their little personalities and their little moments of humanoidisms can trickle through a snoot boop, an ear twitch, a heavy sigh, a wink, or even a well-timed smile.