Why are cats so cute to humans?

Every pet parent believes (knows) their kitty is as cute as can be - cuter than anyone else’s, in fact. But have you ever wondered - just why are cats so cute to humans? How do our seemingly innocent furry friends create the famous human-feline magnetism us cat lovers and house sitters know all too well? 

For starters, we’re sure you’ll agree they’re bursting with cute characteristics - doe eyes, soft fur, tiny pink noses, soothing purrs and baby-like meows. But what do those features actually do to us humans to make us swoon so hard, what are the cat tail meanings and do cats actually understand the concept of cute? Find out here as we explore the depths of feline cuteness, what ‘cute’ does to our human brains and more.

What are ‘cute’ characteristics?

Like any cat person will tell you, cats are simply bursting with cuteness, but why are cats so cute to us? Whether it’s their shapely, large eyes or those up-turned ears and tiny mouths, our feline friends have got it all when it comes to tricking us into doting on them (that's why cats are better than dogs, by the way). But what cat lovers might not know is that this isn’t just opinion (we’re admittedly feline-biased, but we’re not joking). In fact, our feline friends are born with (and grow into) a variety of traits that are officially defined as cute, at least, that’s if we agree with Austrian zoologist, Konrad Lorenz (which in this case, we heartily do!). 

Lorenz defined what he called the baby schema (or the German term kindchenschema) as a set of ‘cute’ characteristics. They’re physical features that stimulate a certain response in us humans, like our instincts for caregiving, protection and nurturing. These baby schema characteristics that set us humans off include…

• Large head and eyes
• High and protruding forehead
• Chubby cheeks
• Small nose and mouth
• Plump bodies
• Short and thick limbs

Sound familiar to you, fellow cat lover? Well before we get onto those irresistible feline characteristics, let’s talk babies. Those baby schema characteristics, as the name suggests, all describe certain traits of human babies. Traits that make us humans more inclined to look after them. They trigger our protective and nurturing instincts, which makes us a whole lot more likely to want to take care of them. So, it turns out that babies aren’t simply cute for the sake of it - it’s for survival! Now enough about babies and onto what you’re really here for - the cats.

If we apply Lorenz’s baby schema characteristics to our feline friends, it’s no surprise that we find them simply irresistible. Many cats have large eyes, kittens have larger heads than their adult counterparts, many have chubby cheeks (or at least the fur makes them look so!), and there are plump bodies in lots of cases. And of course, we can’t forget the pinnacle of cat cuteness - those tiny, pink noses that join down to a small, innocent mouth (at least when it’s closed!).

Cat cuteness and the human brain

It’s probably no surprise to you by now that looking at adorable cats (and maybe your cute kitty in particular) has a sort of feline magnetism. Aside from being a cat devotee, looking at cute mammals triggers our innate caregiving mechanism - something that’s been sharpening since the beginning of human evolution. Why? Well let's start with human babies, where the so-called ‘cuteness response’ evolved. Human babies are born completely dependent on their caregivers. Without complete devotion from the adults around them, human babies simply wouldn’t survive. So in short, this cuteness response is pretty responsible for the survival of the human population. 

Transfer this response to cute kitties, and you’ve got your answer to why are cats so cute. But to get under the skin of all this (quite literally), we need to know what’s happening in the brain that triggers this cuteness response in babies to explain why it’s then transferred onto other animals. 

When humans look into an adult human face, the first activity we’ll see is in the retina of the eyes, which gets transferred to the fusiform face area - the part of the brain that processes and makes sense of faces. The rather incredible thing is, when we look at a human baby, our brain processes it differently. Here alongside activity in the fusiform area, we also see activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, which is an area that’s heavily involved in emotions and pleasure.

So when it comes to our soft spot for kittens, cats (plus puppies and dogs - it all works in the same way), the response us humans have is the same. Scientists have found that (like Lorenz’s baby schema), humans perceive levels of cuteness depending on the severity of certain characteristics, like the proportion of the head to the overall face, chubbiness of cheeks, and how big the eyes are. 

Interestingly (and coming as no surprise to us feline fanatics), studies have shown that humans actually rate kittens and puppies as cuter than human babies. While this might seem a bit counter productive from a human survival perspective, we have to remember that we’ve purpose-bred our furry friends over hundreds (if not thousands) of years to appeal to us. Puppies and kittens have essentially been bred to resemble babies. Whether we did it consciously or not, many breeds have those cute characteristics (large eyes, plump bodies, etc.) that trigger an emotional response and protective, nurturing behaviors from us.

Facial expressions and cat cuteness

So now we know why so many of us humans are drawn to cute kitty cats and why we feel (innately) obliged to look after them, what else is it about our feline fluff balls that keeps us coming back for more? In other words, what is it about cats that keeps us pet parents interested every day? Well along with all their individual quirks (whiskers over the work webcam, rolling on their backs for attention and their questionable affinity with your favorite cushion), cats are also highly skilled at something us humans are pretty good at - facial expressions. So if you’re wondering why cats are cute and continue to swoon you further every day, look no further than that furry little face.

Facial expressions are a huge part of human communication - a key cornerstone of emotion portrayal and message giving. And we’re (most of the time) pretty good at reading between the lines of others’ facial movements. In other words, us humans are pretty expert at the facial expression game, and we’re suckers for anyone else who is too - cats included. Using their ear and whisker position, eye shape, blinking, pupil dilation, muzzle tension and more, our pets help create the special cat-human bond that we feline fanatics so crave. And like many animals, our furry friends are highly intelligent, and will learn which behaviors get certain responses from us humans. Pull the right face, sit in the right place and they get that purr-inducing stroke behind the ear they need.

Cat cuteness: smell and sound

Yup, the cuteness response us humans can’t help but have stretches further than how mammals look. Researchers found that sound and smell trigger the same nurturing and protective instincts that sights do. The laugh of a human baby and the whiff of the top of their head triggers that same reward center. So, while further research might need to be done, this does beg the question as to how much our kitty’s high-pitched meows and distinctive scent triggers that all-important cuteness response!

Do cats know they’re cute?

Cats are simply irresistible pets, but now we know why cats are cute to us, do they know it themselves? Well as much as we’d love to tell you we’re finally inside the minds of cats, unfortunately our technology here hasn’t quite reached those heights just yet. What we cantell you is that like other pets, cats can be trained via a positive reinforcement-based approach, with toys and snacks as rewards for good behavior. What does this tell us about a cat’s self awareness, though? Well while our feline friends might not quite understand the concept of cute, they’ll certainly pick up on how certain behaviors of their own will affect the rewards they get from those around them - whether it’s a treat, their favorite toy, or that under-the-chin scratch they’ve been craving.

What can and can’t cats eat?

If you’re new to the pet parenting world or you love cute cats as much as us and you’re preparing for your first house sit, get in the know about what cats can and can’t eat. It turns out that many of the ingredients we humans eat daily are more than questionable for a cat’s diet, so check out our blog to find out which foods your kitty will crave yet should most certainly avoid.