From Hello Kitty toys to silly emojis, contemporary culture has fallen hard for all things adorable. An exhibition opening on Thursday explores just how cuteness has become such a dominant force. To celebrate the opening of Cute at Somerset House, London, we asked readers to send in photos of the cutest thing they have ever seen – and the overwhelming majority seem to be animals.
1. A newborn fawn
This fawn was born just outside our home in 2022. The mother tucked her into the bottom of a tree and went off to feed herself.
Peter Martori, retired, Durango, Colorado
2. A cheerful llama
I met this friendly llama while hiking past a small farm into a mountain valley from Bad Gastein in Austria last summer. Just as I took its photo, it opened its mouth, making it look as though it was giving me a big smile.
Lisa Watson, France
3. A bucket full of ducklings
I used a red bucket to transport the ducklings each day from their overnight pen inside to an outdoor play space during the day.
Ally Clelland, 62, media advisor, Carterton, New Zealand
4. Penguin the cat in a washing machine
Our cat Penguin, exploring the washing machine, soon after we got him. He had been abandoned with his brother and sister in a plastic bag in the snow but was rescued by a kind stranger who gave him to us.
Andrew Shapland, museum curator, Oxford
5. A chipmunk
A chipmunk with three peanuts in her mouth, pictured in our back garden. Everything about chipmunks is cute: the combination of uncanny intelligence, impulsiveness and fearlessness is wonderful to witness.
Leigh Rutledge, writer and artist, North Bennington, Vermont US
6. Milo the dog
This is Milo, a rescue dog from Isla Mujeres, Mexico. He likes hats.
Connor Saik, 59, sales associate, Alberta, Canada
7. Batman the kitten
My cat, Batman, when she was a few weeks old.
Tim Browning, 49, film art director, Taplow
8. Jim the dog makes new friends
Walking my dog Jim through the village, resulting in a five-minute sniff-off. Heartwarming.
Paul Ayling, 60, roofer and district councillor, Barnham, West Sussex
9. Two fox cubs
Two fox cubs during a late afternoon visit to the Tel Baruch ridge. I was astonished by how comfortable, relaxed and uninhibited they appeared to be in my presence.
Fredi Gruber, 76, documentary film-maker, Tel Aviv, Israel
10. A colourful tompot blenny
An inquisitive tompot blenny, photographed off Porth Ysgaden in Wales. Their curiosity means an underwater photographer can often get a closeup photo.
Mark Thomas, 66, retired, Northwich, Cheshire
11. Bertie the puppy
Our puppy, Bertie, investigating a dandelion in the garden when he was three months old.
Leon Slater, 33, web developer, Taunton
12. Mr Hibiscus Whiskers and Lenny
Our two young cats, Mr Hibiscus Whiskers and his brother Lenny. We love our cats and they give us cute overload every day.
Dean Redfern, 44, quantity surveyor, Tring
13. A gecko
My wife and I went on a cruise around the world. We were on an excursion touring the Big Island of Hawaii, having a picnic on some red picnic tables when we saw this little guy.
Lee Alexander, 77, retired, Lincroft, New Jersey, US
14. Benji and Bisou
My late rescue dog, Benji, was best friends with my cat, Bisou. They often snuggled together but this captures their friendship in a more intimate way.
Julie, Belgium
15. Rusty the corgi
Rusty was a very energetic and charming corgi pup.
Jeff Scott, 60, gardener and carpenter, Ontario, Canada
16. Jasper and Tiff the cats
It was pure luck that they yawned at the same time and I happened to capture it! They look like they are singing.
Jacks Leadbetter, 54, teacher, Bangkok
17. A sleeping ferret
This is my ferret, Roger. A friend sewed him this personal sleeping bag so he would feel tucked in and cosy. His little arm over the blanket and the sweet little smile on his face is so cute.
Georgina Macneil, 37, bank manager, Berlin
18. Lily the cat
This is Lily, my first cat, when she was about a year old. I love her mischievous expression. Cats can be just as loving and playful as dogs.
Arlene Lahey, teacher, Ankara, Turkey,
19. Beulah the kitten
I took this photo of my cat, Beulah, when she was about eight weeks old. Like most kittens, she was constantly getting up to mischief and wriggling around, making it very difficult to get a picture of her still, let alone capture her cuteness.
Anneka de Silva, 37, humanitarian, Amman, Jordan
20. Two horses
I call this “Love on the Farm”. My brother put a bit of grass on the crossboard and the horses at a ranch in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, did the rest.
Brian Grover, retired English professor, Port Alice, British Columbia, Canada
21. Ollie the puppy
This is Ollie, our old English sheepdog puppy, aged nine weeks, when he first got to our house in the US after we picked him up in Coevorden, the Netherlands.
Amy and David Patrick, 61 and 67, Michigan, US
22. Baby brown bear
A baby brown bear in Denali National Park, Alaska. It had been hiding under its mum and was not visible for quite a long time. Suddenly, it poked its head out to look and then scuttled back under again.
Debbie Colbourne, environmental manager
23. Toro the cat
Toro loves to lounge and stretch and provides us with endless entertainment. His silly poses remind us not to take things too seriously.
Martin Kestner, New York City, US
24. Shiloh the dog
Shiloh looks so cute all bundled up in a new sweater and bright boots.
Anna, Canada
25. Tiny wood mouse
The mouse was scuttling about on the steps outside my kitchen window. A neighbour gave me a huge sunflower head and I put that out. Over the next few days, it ate most of the seeds.
Anne Keddie, 74, retired, East Lothian
26. A dog meets its doppelganger
This was taken 30 years ago, outside South Carolina state library during a street fair.
Roger, 79, retired, Columbia, South Carolina
27. A squirrel nibbles a toadstool
My new partner’s hobby is wildlife photography and one of our first holidays was to the Teton and Yellowstone national parks in the US for wildlife spotting. This tiny squirrel, sitting in a tree nibbling a toadstool, was irresistible. He has been featured on birthday cards for all my granddaughters.
Alison Holt, retired, Yorkshire
28. Quincy the dog
This is our dog, Quincy Jones Ettinger Daniels. He is a mischievous cuddle bug.
Maia Ettinger, 61, writer, translator, and communications consultant, Connecticut, US
29. A lioness and her cub
A lionness and cub living in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. I saw a pride of lions with a group of cubs and watched for some time while they enjoyed family time.
Richard Allan, 76, retired, Staveley, Yorkshire
30. A tree rat
I spent a summer following a tree rat in my garden. He loved munching on the walnuts and pomegranates.
Ursula Rose, 68, retired, Mollina
31. Reenie the puppy
Our puppy Reenie taking a break from wrecking the house to help with the gardening.
Mark Ford, barrister, Nantwich, Cheshire
32. Tali the cat
Tali keeping a watchful eye on a restless sea.
Rob Burton, Wellington, New Zealand
33. A pair of macaws
These two love birds just couldn’t keep their beaks off each other, kissing and canoodling on the coast of Costa Rica.
Joseph Hornsby, 38, lighting designer, London
34. Lilli the cat
This is my cat, Lilli, minx extraordinaire. I defy you not to melt at her sweet little face.
Davina Rahman, 45, investigator for local government, London
35. A koala
This is a koala who lives at Longleat safari park, Wiltshire. I had a VIP meeting arranged by my three children as a birthday present. I’ve always wanted to see a koala.
Judith Randall, 64, retired psychiatrist, Lincolnshire
36. Milo the puppy
My puppy Milo, a cocker doodle, celebrating his first birthday.
Michelle Cahill, 50, civil servant, London
37. Adam the kitten
This is Adam, a stray kitten rescued with his sister. He has enjoyed a long night of hunting.
Chris Doyle, Italy
38. A mouse
I have bird food, in containers, on the porch. I’d just gone into the garden to top up the bird feeders. When I got back I noticed I’d not put the lid back on, and this mouse had taken full advantage. It stayed long enough so that I could take a photo.
Julia Cartlidge, retired, Portishead
39. Cuddly cats
We got these siblings when they were 10 weeks old. They are very friendly and supportive of each other.
Philip Bailey, 76, retired, Bath
40. Ozzy the dog has a nap
I put this toy bed out on the landing ready to go to the charity shop. When I came back 10 minutes later, Ozzy was snuggled up cosily and fast asleep. Zara Huddleston, 65, graphic designer, Dorset
41. A white tern chick
White terns, the official bird of Honolulu, routinely “nest” in our school’s kukui nut trees. White tern chicks are adorable. My daughter-in-law calls them “fluffy little tree angels”.
Dr Kirtland C Peterson, 64, teacher, Honolulu, Hawaii
42. Pizza the cat in a sink
This was taken in our bathroom in Hanoi. It gets really hot in the summer and Pizza is the master of finding cool places to sleep. She really likes tile and porcelain. We also find her in the bath a lot.
Tracy Ramberg, 49, teacher, Hanoi, Vietnam
43. A giraffe
A giraffe munching the top of a tree in Kenya’s Masai Mara.
Betsy Clarke, 70, retired psychotherapist, Pottersville, New Jersey, US
44. A baby sloth
This picture of a cute baby sloth was taken in Costa Rica at the Jaguar Rescue Center.
Linda Eibel, Rhode Island, US
45. A lamb and some bunny friends
At a heritage festival during Thanksgiving weekend there was a petting zoo. This little lamb and two bunnies huddled up for a cute photo op.
Mary Schaad, Tallahassee, Florida, US
46. A fur seal
A fur seal lounging adorably on a rock just north of the beautiful coastal town of Kaikōura, New Zealand.
Barney Vollans, 52, IT, Wellington, New Zealand
47. Baby meerkats
Baby meerkats in the Kuruman River Reserve in South Africa, taken while I was doing an internship there.
Alessandra Learmount, 19, student, Cambridge, UK
48. Bobbie the kitten
The first picture of our new Scottish fold kitten, Bobbie, after his eyes opened for the first time. Only a pose for the camera distracts him from a dogged attempt to escape from his bed.
Patrick Callaghan, professor, London
49. Two marmots
Marmots near the Spanish Peaks of Gallatin/Madison mountain range. This picture was taken while birdwatching.
Peter Kurey, 64, retired, Bozeman, Montana, US
50. A pacific swallow
This is a pacific swallow. It’s not a rare bird in Singapore, but I had never seen it in detail until that day. It was the first time I had ever seen one stop whizzing about at a ridiculous speed and perch there so calmly and peacefully.
Rohan Davies, Singapore
51. A group of capped langurs
Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in north-east India is a small, protected area of evergreen forest that is home to a number of primate species. We located a troop of capped langurs high above on the top canopy.
Kshama Daphtary, Cleveland, Ohio, US
52. A ring-tailed lemur and its baby
This photo of a ring-tailed lemur mother and its baby was taken at a nature reserve outside Taolagnaro, Madagascar. It reminds me of the importance of preserving lemurs and the bonds of motherhood.
Anonymous
53. A cat
A cute cat that I took a photo of while walking in the park.
Serhii, 37, Ukraine
54. Pop Tart the donkey
This photo is of my nine-year-old donkey Pop Tart enjoying the warmth of the sun.
William Morris, 69, retired carpenter and construction supervisor, Santa Fe, New Mexico, US
55. A snoozing sea otter
A wee sea otter having a snooze at Stanley Park, Vancouver.
Jane Sutherland, 62, physiotherapist, New Zealand
56. Tali the dog
This is my favourite photo of Tali, the day we brought her home. She has such a conflicted expression – confused, hopeful, loving. We were madly in love that day and remain so.
Maggie R Jones, 56, economist, Brunswick, Maine, US
57. A squirrel
I thought the posture and expression of this very cheeky squirrel in Kew Gardens, London, was cute.
Tony Hutchinson, 69, semi-retired housing and regeneration professional, London
58. A house sparrow
This house sparrow has become very friendly and sits most days in the vines outside my bedroom window. I thought I’d take a closeup shot to bring out the fact that even the smallest “everyday” animals can have endearing personalities up close.
Matt Garnett, 48, copywriter, Prague, Czech Republic
59. A red squirrel
A red squirrel discovers sunflower seeds.
Roy Preshaw, 76, retired teacher, Vancouver Island, Canada
60. Sea lion pups
Two baby sea lion pups playing in Hoopers Inlet on the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. As soon as I got them in view the one at the rear pulled the perfect photobomb pose, looking right into the camera.
John Burke, 63, retired tour guide, Dunedin, New Zealand
61. Two house finches
An apparently one-sided conversation between a pair of house finches taken near our home.
Dave Foster, 72, retired epidemiologist, Michigan, US
62. Vicky the puppy
A year ago our Finnish lapphund, Vicky, was still a puppy and her favourite toy was this pillow. Vicky played with the pillow, slept next to it and rarely left its side … until later, when she destroyed it.
Suvi Johansson, 45, English teacher, Parainen, Finland
63. A robin feeds its baby
Last spring I heard a commotion in the bushes off our back deck. I found this robin giving the first salmonberry of the year to its offspring.
Clifford Awyn Tincher, 66, substitute teacher, Sitka, Alaska, US
64. Two kittens have a nap
Our two new kittens in 2010. Like yin and yang they were very different – a little girl v a big boy; sweet and cuddly v rambunctious. Their position during this nap was so apt!
Mary Beth Cook, Wellington, New Zealand
65. Two canine pals
This was taken in our truck on the way to a walk in the state forest.
Carol, retired, Milford, Pennsylvania, US
66. A desert cottontail rabbit
We live on a two-and-a-half acre plot of land that had so many desert cottontail rabbits we dubbed it Cottontail Acres. I was able to sneak up quite close to this one.
Steve Harvey, 66, writer and photographer, California, US
67. Taco, the pembroke welsh corgi
“I’m just waiting for my mum to finish taking the picture on top of the stairs.”
Aleyda Cram, Loughborough, UK
68. A group of puffins
Puffins are such stunning, photogenic sea birds. The Farne Islands in Northumberland are a gem of a place to see them en masse.
Philip Grenard, 85, retired journalist, Sydney, Australia
69. A baby squirrel
A baby squirrel fell out of a nest in our back yard. We rescued it and wrapped it up in our favourite blanket to keep it warm.
Carine France, San Francisco, US
70. Two owls
Two baby owls perched high up in an oak tree, looking at the admiring people below.
Heather Ettus, 59, higher education, Greenbelt, Maryland
71. A baby orangutan
A baby orangutan, taken at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois.
Marian Wyse, 72, retired firefighter, Pittsburgh, US
72. Rosie the dog
This is my dog Rosie, a chihuahua mutt rescue. When she is with us she is the most wonderful dog. With virtually everyone else she’s a terror.
Peter, New York, US
73. Two fawns
Two very young fawns being friendly.
James Wallace, 68, geologist, Flagstaff, Arizona, US
74. Roo-Bear the puppy
He looks like an adorable stuffed-toy puppy.
Joyce E Fuller, 65, Talbots clothing sales associate, Rhode Island, US
75. Keenan the puppy
Keenan’s surprised expression at being gently rolled over in the snow while playing with his human.
David Vincent, 74, retired, Ottawa, Canada
76. A tufted titmouse
I took the photo at a nearby nature reserve. The combination of a wide-eyed look with a tilt of the head provide the cuteness with a hint of mild surprise built-in.
Brad Morley, 70, former teacher, Ontario, Canada
77. Little Fox the cat
We literally stumbled on this tiny, starving scrap abandoned in a wildlife refuge. This was taken about three weeks later. Look at that tummy! The waistcoat buttons! The dreamy smile! What could be cuter?
Julie Stielstra, writer and retired librarian, Kansas, US
78. Fidel the bulldog
I love how cute he looks even though he was terrorising the house right before the nap.
Lucas Franzoi Ernandes, 32, businessman, São Paulo, Brazil
79. Beau the cat
We only realised Beau was a bit cross-eyed a few months after we brought him home from the shelter. He is the smallest of our four cats but the most overweight!
Beatrice Leigh, lawyer, Hong Kong
80. A baby monkey on a motorbike
I took this photo when visiting the temples around Siem Reap, Cambodia. The baby monkey was on the motorbike for only a few seconds. The way it’s nibbling the bike is endearing.
Pedro Suarez, film-maker, London
81. Tiggy the cat
Not only is Tiggy cute, she is smart.
Anne Ramsden, 71, artist, Gabriola Island, British Columbia
82. Milo the puppy
Milo is an adorable puppy.
Rick Gocool, 57, relationship manager, Toronto, Canada
83. Porter the dog
He loves lounging on the couch but also likes to keep an eye on everyone as they go about their day.
Michael, Wisconsin, US
84. A baboon with its child
A baby baboon riding on its mum’s back at Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Robert Lochiam, ranger/tour guide, Kenya
85. Fergus the dog
Usually he sits so still but this time he was exceptionally smiley and voicing his opinion that it was a beautiful day.
Alan Lawson, 62, commercial producer, Ballyhean, County Mayo, Ireland
86. Lambs navigate a slope
This was taken at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. While the lambs look so fragile as they view the sheer slopes, they spring down in groups without any trepidation.
Barbara Dresslar, 70, retired, California, US
87. Luna the schnauzer
My adorable pet, a salt and pepper schnauzer.
Luis, pediatrician, Costa Rica
88. Woody the dog
Woody after a long walk followed by breakfast.
Jose Gonzalez, 65, cardiologist, Tucson, Arizona, US
89. Agatha the cat
This is our little rescue kitty. After finding her on the streets of Bangkok, this was the first time she started to look healthy and confident.
Matt Love, 41, founder, Bangkok
90. Two peccaries
Our back yard includes an ancestral wildlife trail from a nearby canyon and among the creatures who traverse it are wild peccaries (AKA javelina). One day a new peccary mama parked her 10-day-old babies near stones that generated heat for the perfect slumber spot.
Terril Shorb, writer and photographer, Arizona, US
91. Jennie Charlotte the dog
Our dog Jennie Charlotte had to wear a stretchy corset-like garment to keep her from pulling out her stitches after a surgery. She liked her new look.
Richard Smith, 66, clinical psychologist and poet, Washington, US
92. Family of poodles
Back in 2009, when a friend drove up in his truck, the family of poodles that often accompanied him were happy to see me. All four dogs spontaneously posed together in the window.
Michael Tomb, 70, artist, Rochester, New York, US
93. A baby elephant being fed
This photo was taken while visiting the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya, which rescues orphaned elephants and rhinos. Elephants are fed milk while their keepers tell us more about them.
Munleen Sibia, 36, marketing and communications associate, London
94. Noodles the cat
Noodles had been dumped and had lost an eye. We nursed him back to health, cleaned him up and fostered him for three months before sending him off to his forever home. We now get regular updates of him wearing various outfits and living his best life.
Katy Silver, 56, teacher, Auckland, New Zealand
95. Tolstoi Minaj de Borbón the puppy
My daughter crocheted a little hat for him.
Daniel Beard, Alicante, Spain
96. Angus playing catch
His favourite game is chasing snowballs and this time he just about managed to catch one.
Steve Chalastra, Ontario, Canada
97. Pandas eating bamboo
Two adorable pandas who were squealing with delight eating their bamboo breakfasts. One of them was falling over backwards shovelling the bamboo into his mouth.
Louise Milne, 43, midwife, Worthing
98. Connie the dog
Connie looks as if she is smiling and I don’t know why she is so happy.
Cho Kuwakado, kindergarten director, Japan
99. Saffy the puppy
New golden retriever puppy Saffy, wrapped in a blanket.
Holly Bradshaw, 49, IT consultant, Godalming, Surrey
100. Milo the kitten
My 14-week-old cream ragdoll kitten, Milo. Taken two days after I brought him home.
Catherine Frankpitt, 50, publicist, Bristol
