Animal Photographer Explains Why Humans Find Cats To Be So Unbearably Cute

Animal photographer Tim Flach spoke with New Scientist about why humans find cats to be so unbearably cute, noting that specific facial and body features trigger caregiving responses in the human brain, as demonstrated by his own scans.

Cuteness, it would seem, is one of life’s most endearing evolutionary strategies, and one that felines have hijacked to remarkable levels. For cat lovers, our furry feline friends are akin to our closest companions and this is reflected in our neurobiology: being close to them triggers activity in the same emotion-processing region of the brain. d so adorable?

In his book Feline, Flach also pays attention to specific features, such as a cat’s eyes, their flexibility, whiskers, and sense of smell, all of which enable them to be such an extraordinary predator.

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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