Why do we see pets/most animals as cute? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 3 weeks ago by AmosBurton_ThatGuy@lemmy.ca to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca

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As in, what's the evolutionary reason for this? I can get seeing dogs as cute because they probably helped early humans by being "guards" essentially and they're just great companions in general, but what purpose does a cat have for example? All they want is food, and you get nothing in return except a cute cat to look at. Hell, even bear cubs are adorable and they'll eventually turn into something that can kill you with one swipe.

Why do we find animals that are or will grow into dangerous creatures cute? What reason does this serve?

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[-] Aedis@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

You ever feel like you see a bunny and you want to hug the shit out of it?

No real source for this, but it could be cause we see a bunny as food and crushing it is a pretty good way to get it to stop moving and then eat it. I'm pretty sure something really basic is driving that desire to hug small animals, especially nutritious ones.

this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2025

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