Since the concept of “Cute” was first dreamed up some time around the invention of cats in 30 B.C., a great many cute things have happened. But these were the very cutest of all.

1. The day this orphaned kitten pushed his stepbrother around in a tiny, kitten-sized shopping cart

Via: dailymail.co.uk

And the world came, shudderingly, to a halt.

Via: dailymail.co.uk

2. The dual, simultaneous, equiversal kisses planted on this lucky otter by his two best friends.

Via: telegraph.co.uk

3. Four legendary birthday parties for, respectively, a stoned dog, two chinchillas, an existential cat, and Ludwig the elephant.

Via: heavy.com

Via: wot.wowstead.com

Via: aikunioka.seesaa.net

Via: imgur.com

4. The mischievous sloth who photobombed a group of tourists.

Via: abcnews.go.com

5. The day this kid and his cat decided to plot their escape together ...

Via: club.foto.ru

... and started a revolution.

Via: lolsnaps.com

Via: bunnyfood

Via: awesomelycute.com

6. The smiling seal who welcomed a honeymooning couple to the Galapagos.

Via: imgur.com

7. And the meerkat who fell in love with a stuffed meerkat of himself.

Via: dailymail.co.uk

8. The fateful day when Boo the pomeranian hid inside a pile of Boos and then fell asleep.

Via: facebook.com

Via: facebook.com

9. The baby elephant who spent a day at the beach and had the time of her life.

Via: oddstuffmagazine.com

Via: oddstuffmagazine.com

Via: oddstuffmagazine.com

10. The letter this kid wrote to Professor Dumbledore (SPOILERS!)

Via: dearmrpotter.org

11. The cute but tragic but, let's be honest, more cute than tragic Panda Slide Accident of 2008.

Via: break.com

12. And the inspiring act of panda altruism that suddenly made everything OK again.

Via: lef72

13. And then also the time that this panda thing happened.

Image by China Daily / Reuters

14. The people who rescued a sheep from a flood in a kayak.

Via: burlingtonfreepress.com

15. The little girl who saved a baby lamb from a volcano in Iceland.

What is it with ovines in distress these days?

Via: loldamn.com

16. And the sheep who celebrated via frolicking.

Via: ianimal.ru

Via: globalanimal.org

17. That time when all the cats decided to imitate all the babies and totally nailed it.

Via: ecrivainparisien.wordpress.com

Via: sweet-blog.blog.cz

18. The photobooth proposal that totally worked.

"These are the pictures from when we got engaged. I have no idea in frames one and two and am really confused in frame three (lets never make that face again!) and really surprised in frame four."

Via: angelaandithyle.com

19. And the somber Victorian photoshoot that didn't.

Via: reddit.com

20. The basset hounds who won that race where two basset hounds RACE RIGHT INTO YOUR HEART.

Via: julieklausner

21. The serious cat who got photobombed by his idiot friend.

Via: cimpanza.geek.hr

22. Let's not forget Pickles the Etsy-modeling pug.

Via: etsy.com

23. Or the pug who pushed her toy baby pugs around in a stroller. With a parasol.

Via: jennythepug.com

Via: jennythepug.com

Via: jennythepug.com

Via: jennythepug.com

Via: jennythepug.com

And then settled down to watch a piece about herself on the local news. It goes without saying that this was a great day for big pugs, little pugs, strollers, and parasols alike. Possibly one of the greatest.

Via: jennythepug.com

24. Or (for God's sake) the seeing-eye pug who helps her blind pug friend get around.

The blind pug, Elly, is on the right. Her sighted pug friend Franky is always at her side to make sure she doesn't get lost.

Via: dailymail.co.uk

25. And also while we are on the "seeing-eye" topic, let's talk just real quicklike about this seeing-eye cat who see-eyes for a labrador out of the great and glorious goodness of her heart.

And also while we are on the "seeing-eye" topic, let's talk just real quicklike about this seeing-eye cat who see-eyes for a labrador out of the great and glorious goodness of her heart.

Via: animalintelligence.org

26. Then there was the time we all learned what happens when you burn someone's feelings.

The story behind this note is that the long-suffering father who received it had postponed a beach trip with his 8-year-old daughter until he could finish watching the football game.

Source: passiveaggressive / via: passiveaggressivenotes.com

27. And the time a possum broke into a bakery and ate so many danishes that he couldn't leave.

Via: imgur.com

28. And this bunny bathtime.

Via: imgur.com

29. There was a partially paralyzed kanagaroo who became a therapy animal for an Oklahoma woman suffering from depression.

After a stroke, and a debilitating depression, and an attempted suicide, Christie Carr found new meaning volunteering at a wildlife refuge, where she met Irwin, a five-month-old kangaroo who had partially paralyzed himself after hopping into a fence.

The town of Broken Arrow unanimously voted to create an exemption to their exotic animals ordinance so that the inseparable Carr and Irwin could continue their lives together.

Image by Sue Ogrock / AP