Cats have been our friends ever since we let them hang around grain stores to keep out rats and other pests. Yes, they do tend to see us more as “staff” than friends, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be downright endearing and cuddly at the same time.
People from across the internet have shared cute, adorable and heartwarming pictures of their cats and we’ve gathered them here. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts and experiences to the comments section down below.
#1 We Adopted A 17 Year Old Baby
Image credits: YakOne3002
#2 Pulled This Guy Off The Side Of The Highway Today
Image credits: No_Couple_7761
#3 I’ve Felt A Void In My Life Ever Since My Cat Passed So I Adopted The Saddest Cat At The Shelter
Image credits: ajamesmccarthy
The domestication of cats by humans is as much about occupation as it is an unassuming, mutual compromise that developed over thousands of years. Unlike dogs, who were specifically bred from wolves to be utility and companion animals, cats essentially domesticated themselves.
It begins sometime around 9,000 years ago, in the Fertile Crescent, today's Middle East regions, where early agrarian societies were starting to form. When man first began to store surplus grain, the rodents took over, and soon after them, the wildcats, attracted by the easy hunting.
#4 Meet Tiger, My Boyfriends Ancient 20 Year Old Kitty
Image credits: Corgi_teefs
#5 Was Sad And Lay Down Flat On The Floor And Closed My Eyes. Opened Them Back Up To Find This
Image credits: miraclealigner92
#6 This Morning I Discovered I Was Having A Miscarriage. Emma Has Been Snuggling With Me For 2 Hours Now
Image credits: DefinitelynotYissa
These wildcats, which in this instance were "Felis lybica" (the African wildcat), were solitary and suspicious of their ways, but some had more amenable attitudes towards men. These approachable cats thrived in the settlements where they enjoyed food and some protection.
#7 He Protected Two Baby Kittens Against 5 Other Adult Cats
Image credits: Cat-on-the-run
#8 At 19 Years Old, My Senior Cat Has Entered Her Garden Goddess Era
Image credits: TechnologyFull6412
#9 Probably The Best Part Of My Job (I Paint Houses)
Image credits: taykaybo
Man was also gainers from the efficiency of the cats as hunters, keeping the rodent numbers down. Over the generations, this loose bond gradually developed to become better known. By around 7500 BCE, remains found on the island of Cyprus, where cats would have needed to be transported by people intentionally, show that cats were already living closely with people.
#10 Rescued Her Only 72 Hours Ago. Meet Denim
Image credits: YoutubeBinger99
#11 My Girlfriend Painted Me And My Cat
Image credits: Bewk27
#12 My Girlfriend And Our Two Girls Brought This Little Girl Home After Finding Her Abandoned On A Walking Trail , She Was Pretty Traumatized But After A Few Weeks She Is Starting To Come Around. This Is Kitty
Image credits: RipTorn1978
Skip forward to Egypt, and the bond had become downright cultural veneration. In 2000 BCE, cats were no longer just tolerated, Egyptians loved them. Egyptians identified cats with divinity and protection, and the cat goddess Bastet symbolized home life, fertility, and graciousness. To slay a cat was to be guilty of a serious offense, and families of cat owners tended to mummify their feline friends, burying them with ritual and love. Their ability to ward off vermin and snakes only increased their sacred standing.
#13 This Is The Best Feeling In The World
Image credits: skoalreaver
#14 My Boyfriends “Feral” 20 Year Old Cat That Won’t Let Anyone Touch Him
Image credits: Lost_Ad_6204
#15 I Know As Parents, We Can Be Biased... But Isn't My Baby So Beautiful? 🥹
Image credits: justlovespeacocks
And from there, cats spread all around the ancient world, on ships, in caravans, by war and trade. The Romans enjoyed them and spread them all over Europe. In Asia, they were introduced to houses and monasteries, often linked with spirituality and good fortune.
#16 The Tiniest Of Smol
Image credits: According_Plant_1065
#17 After My Dog Of 14 Years Passed Away And A Year Plus Of Grieving, I'm Starting A New Chapter As A Cat Dad. I'm Absolutely Giddy For This Kitty
Image credits: smilingmercenary23
#18 Thank You For Growing Up With Me
Image credits: yayavittle
By the medieval period, cats had a more nuanced image in Europe, sometimes even with witches and superstition, but they never completely lost their practical attraction. Along the way, cats were semi-domesticated, to a degree, retaining an independence that would set them apart from other domesticates.
#19 Adopted This Dude A Month Ago And He Won’t Stop Staring At Me
Image credits: brian_the_wanderer
#20 His Name Is Wilfred And He Just Stole My Entire Family’s Hearts
Image credits: autoboyluna
#21 Found This Tiny Void On The Side Of The Road, 4 Flea Baths And 1 Tiny Bandana Later, Here He Is. Meet Arlo!
Image credits: Sled_Dogg
We keep today loving cats not in spite of but maybe because of their independence. They offer companionship without possessiveness, affection without obtrusiveness. Their behavior, fun-loving and hunting, detached and gentle, evokes something raw and primal. In a society where control and predictability organize much of life, cats remain a little strange in their intensity. They are animals that chose to live with us instead of under us, and their independence is refreshing.
#22 My Old Man, Yahtzee. No One Believes Me When I Tell Them He’s 16 Years Old
Image credits: Aetra
#23 My Tiny Round Girl!!!! Cleo
Image credits: Kelsfergo
#24 10 Years With This Floof
His mama got hit by a car when he was about 4 weeks old. The rest of the litter didn't make it and I was determined to keep him alive. I've been the only person he tolerates since. 🖤
Image credits: Scared_Category6311
Cats also mirror something in us: moods, boundaries, curiosity, and grace. Small enough to fit comfortably inside human dwellings but dignity-laden enough to feel like equals. From sunbeam naps curled up in windows to sprinting across the room at 3 a.m., they bring beauty, humor, and comfort. In a sense, we don't own cats, we coexist with them. And that equilibrium, originally struck millennia ago in a rodent-ridden granary, continues to dictate the reasons why we adore them today.
#25 The Softest Paw You’ll See Today
Image credits: imjappo
#26 I Lost My Beautiful Boy This Morning So I Wanted To Share Him With You All
Image credits: crazeddude64
#27 My Cat Turned 19. He Loves Pancakes
Image credits: k0nz
#28 Pay Your Cat Tax
Image credits: Aware_Ability8074
#29 My Beautiful Girl 🩷 Adopted Her Today!
Image credits: virghoebbyxx
#30 He Is Handsome. He Is Grace. He Hates It When You Kiss His Face
Image credits: Disneychick322
#31 Caught Him Staring While I Was Asleep
Image credits: Only-Spend-9109
#32 Our Boy's Growth Over The Past Couple Years
Image credits: HalfDime5
#33 While Running I Bumped Into This Splendid Specimen
Image credits: tantan66
#34 She Was Playing So Hard And Then All Of A Sudden
Image credits: boeiejoh
#35 An Educated Gentleman
Image credits: effloresca
#36 How My Kitten Slept With Us On His First Night Home 🥺
Image credits: Crescent__Luna
#37 Had The Audacity To Go Out Of Town For 4 Days. Bagel’s Been Glued To Me Since
Image credits: Lauraizm
#38 Am I Crazy To Think This Cat Loves Me?
Image credits: _1Vertigo_
#39 I Think Everyone Should See My Cat Atleast Once In Their Lifetime
Image credits: realsecretfairy
#40 I'm Allergic But I Can't Stop Holding Him
Found kittens in a crawlspace. This one had a dried wound and was walking odd (also the smallest). Cleaned up, formula + wet food and a warm bed, he is doing a lot better...vet visit in store. I'm popping allergy pills and loving every second...never considered myself a cat person until now.
Image credits: Zealousideal_Date749
#41 My Cat (White) And His Girlfriend I Think (She Is Not Mine)
Image credits: NoData3663
#42 Whatcha…. Look’n At Lucy?
Image credits: jNealB
#43 Found 2 New Criminals Hiding In Our Barn
Image credits: Cancer_dancer1
#44 Alberto Says Hello!
Image credits: reddit.com
#45 I Got My First Cat Yesterday
Image credits: Jen_Neric
#46 Adopted Her On Saturday And I Just Think Shes Neat !
Image credits: sarcasticbees
#47 The Orange Girl Gang Now Has A Fifth Member - Peach - Found Hiding In A Pipe After Her 4 Siblings Were Found 2 By 2. A Five-Girl Orange Band!
Image credits: liefieblue
#48 She's Been So Much More Clingy And Affectionate Since I've Been Pregnant. Look At That Face 🥹
Image credits: reddit.com
#49 Two Years Apart, Same Favorite Spot
Image credits: badbadradbad
#50 Adopters Keep Asking To Split Up Bonded Pair
Image credits: Kitty_casserole
