affection

People who say cats are cold are people who we would bet have never had a cat of their own. It's true, sometimes it can take a cat a long time to warm up to its human, but with enough love and patience, most cats will show you the affection that you so deeply want. Cats are not cold at all, they just have funny ways of being compassionate sometimes. 

Other times, cats will show their humans so much love, we will have no choice but to feel incredibly blessed and thankful. And when our purrfect ICanHasCheezburger Facebook users shared such stories with us, we were so amazed, we had to share them with you as well. Get the tissues our, friends, because this collection has got some tear-jerkers. 

Living with animals comes with quite a few challenges. From having our cats causing endless chaos to having our dogs bringing about absolute pawndemonium, having pets in the house can be hard. But, of course, it's worth it. 

No matter how many times we will wake up with our dog's paw right on our faces or how many times we will have our cat run over our stomachs when we least expect it like a heckin' elephant, no matter how many struggles we go through, having pets is the most amazing decision we have all ever made. And feeling our pets' love towards us is always worth it in the end, no matter how many shenanigans precede those moments of wholesomeness. 

We all know of that terribly untrue myth of cats being cold and unaffectionate. We, as cat people, know that it's wrong. We know that cats can be incredibly affectionate and loving, it's just that sometimes it takes a cat time to warm up to you, but when a cat chooses its human, it is the best, most heartwarming thing in the world. 

What's even more amazing is that when cats choose you, they don't only give affection to you, they expect certain things back from you as well. No more just food, water, and a place to clean, now, they will expect you to protect them as if you were any other cat. These tumblr posts are proof of just that. And goodness knows that we are more than happy to give them the love and protection that they are asking for. 

We love cats, we feel like it's important to announce that at the beginning of this list. We know, we know, cats can be a whole lot to deal with - from unexpected bursts of energy at 3am, to making sure that your fresh laundry is covered in cat hairs instantly to trying to steal your food (and succeeding sometimes). 

But at the end of the day, these little felines bring so much joy into our lives. And you know what, as cat people with no sense of self-preservation and a desire to adopt every cat out there, we have come to the conclusion that two cats are better than one. For proof, you don't need to go any further than these picture. Double the trouble = double the love. Duh. 

Unfortunately, cats have a reputation for being cold-hearted. It's hard to say that it's unearned - they're quite aloof, sometimes it takes years until they finally warm up to you. And sometimes, people just don't understand the special ways in which they express love. You gotta learn how to read the signs, the same way that you do with humans. Different creatures express love in different ways. 

Cats are not cold hearted at all, and our cat-loving ICanHasCheezburger Facebook users have decided to prove it by sharing stories of their cats showing them love with us. And the stories were so wholesome, we simply had to share it with you as well. Bask in the love everyone, and if the love stings a little, that's just part of having a cat.

Ahhhh kitten season... There are very few things in this world more precious than a litter of kittens or many of them. They have their tiny noses and tiny feet. And there is that factor where their bite is not painful yet. To see kittens with their momma is even better! The kittens start learning how to "make biscuits" and it's all just really really beautiful.

There are photos of different kinds of cat families. Whether it be in numbers, breeds, or coloring, families come in all kinds of forms. A lot of the photos brought to this post are recent so if you want to check on the progress of these babies, go ahead and follow the credit link!

Cats are kind of known to be uh cough cough antisocial creatures. Sometimes it is true, I'm not gonna lie. However, a lot of the time it very much isn't the case! For example, cats and dogs oftentimes get along swimmingly despite all the rumors. With a little getting used to and enough encouragement, a lot of animals can absolutely get along with cats! Cats just show their love in funny ways sometimes.

Some of the photos you will see here are cats with animals they are "supposed" to fight with, like dogs. Some of the photos even include photos of cats with animals they are "supposed to eat, like birds. If a cat can freakin adopt a duck as one of its own, maybe world peace is closer than we think! 

Babies and animals are some of the sweetest images on the planet because we get to witness true discovery. As babies learn the softness of fur and the sensitivity of tails, we get to feel their excitement alongside them! Sometimes the interactions aren't always super smooth.. but the experiences themselves are so enriched with love and curiosity that this is a topic that neverrrrrrrrrrrrr gets old.

Below you will find photos of tiny babies with giant dogs, newborn kittens with babies, babies with guinea pigs, and more! So many smiles and giggles, my heart can barely take it. The ultimate sweetness in such a post can give you a cavity.

Wolves are dangerous, yes, we know. But we're animal lovers, so we know better than to fall for the stereotype of the big bad wolf. Wolves may be dangerous, but so are adorable big wild cats, and we think they're cute too. Amazingly, the big bad wolf is incredibly affectionate, and in general, wolves are the biggest goofballs ever. 

Wolves are basically overgrown doggos, so it totally makes sense that we love them so much. We can only hope to one day meet a wolf friendly enough who will actually give us permission to pet its belly. That would be a total dream come true. 

January 21st is the actual annual date of National Hug Day. Although frankly, if we are being honest, this should be a much more common sort of day. Kind of like a Friday. Hugging should happen more often and amongst more people (only if the people actually agree to it, of course- consent is important!). When animals hug, it bursts into our brains as if we are being hugged ourselves. It is so sweet and heartwarming, that I'm pretty much convinced we should make it a regular holiday.

We have here raccoons, dogs, cats, reptiles, seals, dolphins, and bunnies! My goodness, are there any animals even missing? There are mixed-species hugs and homogenized-species hugs. We can learn a thing or two from these darlings. Love is a powerful thing and these little guys show us exactly why.

Anyone who says cats don't love their humans doesn't know what they're talking about, and these heartwarming cat Facebook posts from our amazing cat-loving ICanHasCheezburger users prove just that. Cats have their own way of showing love - cats show love differently than dogs, they show love differently than humans, but they love hard nonetheless. 

You just need to know how to appreciate their love, even if it takes a while for them to warm up to you. Eventually, you will learn to understand the exact ways in which they love you, and nothing will be more gratifying and fulfilling than that. So, enjoy this collection of wholesomeness and may your heart warm with love. 

This post is for the people in the crowd who truly believe that cats are not affectionate. We, cat owners, know that they are wrong of course, but the stereotype prevails. It's true that cats show love differently than humans and differently than dogs, but they still show it. You just need to know what you're looking for. 

Sometimes, a cat will show you love by blinking slowly while looking into your eyes, other times, they'll do it by showing you their bootie. And sometimes, it's a lot more straightforward than that - when they come to you, asking for physical affection in the form of cuddles. And our amazing Facebook users shared stories of just that which were so adorable we had to share them with you too.