heartwarming

All of us are a little bit different, that's perfectly normal. The exact same can be said about cats. Some of them can be unique just like us, whether they're cats born with two noses, born as incredibly large kittens that just keep growing, or - as is the case of this adorable viral kitten - if they have double claws. 

It's important to give love to the animals around us even if they're a little bit different, and Ecothyrus on imgurhas definitely done that. We're always happy to hear stories of people adoption senior animals, sick animals or animals with traumas or behavioral issues. These stories are the most heartwarming of all, and we love each and every one of them, including the one about this double-clawed cat. 

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these adorable photographs have a lot to say! When it comes to 'before' and 'after' animal photos, sometimes the story is what truly makes the images more powerful and wonderful. Sometimes the story comes across and sometimes it doesn't. To see an animal start out small and shy and end up big and confident is truly a magical thing. 

All of these before and after photos show growth. Some are hilarious scenarios. Some are inspiring. And some are just heartwarming! And who out of us cannot get a kick out of these beautiful darlings!? Surely, no one.

As a proud cat-mom, I love seeing other people's love of cats. Cats can sometimes get a bad rep and it is truly a shame because then people are missing out on the entire experience of loving and enjoying cats. They are hilarious, sweet, smart, and curious creatures. This is why seeing cat memes and online content celebrating and enjoying cats is so heartwarming!

Below are some wholesome cat memes that brightened up my day and I thought might brighten yours. I laughed out loud (and even sometimes snorted/chuckled) at some of these typical cat behaviors. Some of these memes laugh with cats as well as their owners; because frankly, when we love something so much, it sometimes makes us do wacky things.

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. 

There comes a moment in each in during which a cat lover who is busy at work or school suddenly feels the need for more... cat. We miss our little felines when we're at work, and working from home with cats around is not easy either. Being cat lovers ourselves, we, of course, understand the struggle. That is why, every single week, we bring you a medley that is full of nothing but cat appreciation. 

The more cat, the better! And we make sure to find for you the absolute best - the cutest cats, the funniest cats, the most wholesome and most ridiculous. We hope you enjoy this list, cat lovers, and don't forget to come back next week for some more much needed cat love. 

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.

If you're looking for some extra wholesomeness and smiles, you have found yourselves in the right place, friends. This one is a collection of nothing but wholesomeness and goodness all in the form of animals- it's time for your weekly dose of animal cuteness. 

Every week, we go through every corner of the internet and find the cutest, most wholesome, and the most awwwwdorable animal posts we can find and collect them in this one place. Because we know that something that is guaranteed to make you guys happy is some feelgood animal posts. And these feelgood posts are so cute, you might just explode.

So, prepare yourself for the cuteness, and have an amazing day!

Sometimes we have to lean on each other in order to make it through the day, the week, and even the year. This can happen emotionally but also, of course, physically. Animals often find this comfort as well in hugging each other and sleeping with each other in a cuddling position. Sometimes, we need a friend to be our pillow. No matter the weather, Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me" will be playing in the back of our minds whenever we see animals hugging it out. 

Below you will find otters, cats, dogs, and even rats (hey, that rhymed!). Love has no boundaries, even in the animal world, as you all will be able to see. The utter sweetness is so massive it can give you a toothache. Get ready to visit the dentist.

Dogs have their fur, it is true. And yet, dogs nowadays are often just like us in that they love the luxury and comfort of pillows and blankets. Frankly, this is very understandable. Comfort is key. Comfort is life. And while dogs enjoy life in the house rather than outside in the woods, why not go all the way? Why not make an entire blanket fort so that you are never too hot or too cold. 

Below are 12 pictures of dogs who treat themselves and know how to do it right! Come rain or shine, these dogs have their blankies and they look darn cute as well. What's better than having fur? Having fur surrounding your fur.

When it comes to farm animals, no matter how cute they are, people don't try to save them as much, even when they clearly need help. Thankfully, there are places like the Shanti farm, who open their hearts to exactly these kinds of animals. They take in not only animals with difficult cases but also animals who others would normally not take at all, like disabled cats, horses that were thrown away after they were too tired or old to be ridden, hurt sheep, and the hero of our story today - a little 8-day-old baby calf. It was found near a calf who was on the brink of death, suckling on her dead mother's teat to survive.

"We give them hope and a respectable life," said a representative of Shanti farm to ICanHasCheezburger. "We let people meet them a fall in love with them, and we let the animals learn that they can trust and befriend humans."

Tohar the calf is one of their most amazing success stories. Read more about her below!

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. 

When it comes to starting your Sunday on the right paw, there are very few things that you can do to ensure it, but one of them for certain is some animal wholesomeness and adorableness. And specifically, to us cat people in the crowd, nothing brings us more joy and butterflies than wholesomeness and goodness in the form of cat.

This week's tumblr animal treat is one of those guaranteed smile-deliverers. We can only hope that the rest of your weekend and the following week will be as full of wholesomeness as the tumblr posts in this collection. 

Most people, when going to adopt a pet, tend to go for the little ones- the baby kittens and puppies who they'll get to raise into their families. And of course, while every adoption and every rescue is to be celebrated, it's important to remember to adopt senior and sick pets too. And sometimes, it happens that this understanding comes to you as you're already in the shelter, about to pick up your tiny new baby, and then an older one-eyes cat looks at you, and finds its way right into your soul.

A tweet sharing a story like that went viral, and other twitter users with similar stories chimed in, sharing their own stories of last minute changes to adoption plans- ones that ended with them picking up the less fortunate animals and giving them a warm home too. 

So, bring in the tissues and let your heart warm with joy. 

The week is ending, and we're about to help you make sure to end it on the most positive note possible with the funniest and most wholesome dog tweets that we can find. If there's anything that is guaranteed to make us happy on this weekend is some happy and pawdorable doggo tweets, and twitter sure can provide. 

Dog twitter never rests, same as cat twitter. There is always something new - funny, wholesome, or weird happening on dog twitter. And since we love dogs so much, dog twitter never fails to entertain us. We hope you have a paw-fect weekend, friends!