# The Science of Kitten Cuteness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246 "2010-10-15T14:54:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/1 "2010-10-15T14:54:18Z")
After wasting many hours at [Kitten War](http://kittenwar.com/) and observing the results of countless battles, I have come to the following conclusions: 1. Kittens are cuter than adult cats. 2. Long hairs are cuter than short hairs. 3. Kittens with open eyes are cuter than those with closed eyes. The wider the eyes are open, the cuter. 4. Kitten preferences are blatantly racist, with white and gray kittens beating black and tan in most cases. Tabby, patch, and calico coat patterns seem to be cuter than solid colors. 5. Breeds such as Minskin and Oriental Shorthair, with oversized ears and very short hair, are the least cute. 6. Cuteness can be magnified by having a kitten appear in an unexpected location, such as in the sink, on top of a pile of laundary, with a group of stuffed animals, or on a computer keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/2 "2010-10-15T15:44:26Z")
1. Nothing can beat a [Scottish fold kitten](http://pixdaus.com/pics/1239732793dA45iV9.jpg) for cuteness. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/3 "2010-10-15T16:02:30Z")
Anyone for some [puppy cuteness](http://www.bluebufftradingcards.com/PetAlbum-Inside.aspx?PTID=1&BID=0&SID=11&PNS=lilith&AIX=0)? That’s our girl, who is a puppy no longer. She still looks just the same, except that her butt takes up a lot more than one floor tile. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/4 "2010-10-15T20:39:05Z")
Over at [cutenessoverload.com](http://cutenessoverload.com), they’ve got it all down to a science. Here are the [46 rules of cuteness](http://cuteoverload.com/tag/the-rules-of-cuteness/page/5/). With lots of appropriate pics of various types of animals that are, well… cute examples: “a thing with its paw raised is cute” “a thing with floppy ears is cute” “a thing, accompanied by a baby thing, is cute” ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/5 "2010-10-16T05:54:46Z")
My [little girl](http://kittenwar.com/kittens/16055/) is cuteness personified, even with her eyes closed. Those 40% of people who disagree are obviously nuts. [Here](http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/8619/siblingsr.jpg) she is with her brother, sleeping in my lap. Awwwww… ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/6 "2010-10-16T09:15:02Z")
It’s true… Things in sinks -are- cute. [![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OVV6s8cmOuw/TFrO46E1PVI/AAAAAAAAAW4/XvZxURP0bd8/s1600/OtherKittySinks.jpg) ](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OVV6s8cmOuw/TFrO46E1PVI/AAAAAAAAAW4/XvZxURP0bd8/s1600/OtherKittySinks.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/7 "2010-10-16T11:43:48Z")
> [@Waxwinged](#): > > It’s true.. Things in sinks -are- cute. That’s why God created [www.CatsInSinks.com](http://www.CatsInSinks.com) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-kitten-cuteness/557246/8 "2010-10-16T13:41:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Cuteness can be magnified by having a kitten appear in an unexpected location, such as in the sink, on top of a pile of laundary, with a group of stuffed animals, or on a computer keyboard. Oh, I totally expect my kittens and cats to be in the sink, on top of a pile of laundry (especially if it’s still warm from the dryer) or on the keyboard. I only have a few stuffed animals, and they are not in a group. For some reason, people give me stuffed animals on occasion. Plus we have an old stuffed unicorn that our daughter loved when she was little. Every now and then, I’ll put the unicorn in my husband’s bed, with its head on a pillow, and carefully tuck it in. Then a cat might snuggle on it. I really have to say that I’m not too fond of the way that Scottish folds look (the link has expired, by the way). Cats are supposed to have visible ears. Generally, I don’t like cats that have been bred so that they no longer look like regular cats. This includes “wedgiehead” Siamese. I vastly prefer the applehead meezers. However, personality and playfulness can make up for even [extreme bat ears](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cMHm8mQFoA).