Kawaii, which means ‘cuteness’ in Japanese, is a growing trend that’s sweeping the globe. Anything can be made in the kawaii style by adding some soft, pastel galaxy and anime touches, including real animals.
So in a nutshell, kawaii animals are simply adorable animals. They may be domesticated animals that are typically kept as pets or magnificent beasts that are portrayed in a cute fairytale way.
What Are The Most Popular Kawaii Animals? Here are the topmost cute animals in 2022.
Kawaii Lion
Lion means majesty, courage, strength, protection, family, wisdom, and other admirable traits. Can you even imagine someone wanting to hurt such a cute big cat?
Kawaii Otter
Little otters are smart. The otter symbolizes friendship, peace, kindness, family, and never-ending curiosity.
Kawaii Duck
A duck is a cute bird that spends much of its life on or near water. You can sometimes see whole families of ducks paddling across lakes and ponds. There are a lot of famous duck cartoon characters, they symbolize clarity, family, love, nurturing, protection, and grace.
Kawaii Koala
This little cute creature represents Australia. The name “koala” is derived from the Dharug word “gula” or “gulamany” meaning “no drink”. Koalas don’t often need to drink water because they get enough moisture from the eucalyptus leaves they eat.
Kawaii Elephant
Elephants are good luck animals. They are traditionally considered a symbol of good luck, wisdom, fertility, and protection.
Kawaii Octopus
A kawaii octopus has 8 feet and pastel colors. Octopus symbolizes mystery, flexibility, fluidity, intelligence, adaptability, and unpredictability. It is a lunar creature affected by the tides and the waxing and waning of the moon.
Polar Bear
Not to be made as a pet. More on for a plushie or for a chibi drawing, sticker, or cartoon, polar bears are one of the most kawaii animals you’ll find in the cold! Their white fur and paws are too cute not to love. And think about how fluffy they are, it would probably nice to hug one, hoping they are friendly of course!
Kawaii Cute Deer
Have you seen reindeer eating in the forest? Deers are indeed one of the most kawaii wild animals you can see frequently.
Kawaii Owl
Thinking about owls has already got me saying “Awwwwww!” These fuzzy-wuzzy unusual birds can be cute pets to put in the house. They sleep and play all day. They symbolize love and probably have more wisdom than me.
Kawaii Panda
A panda bear has black and white patches that often is resembled the yin and yang. 99% of their diet is bamboo shoots and leaves.
This little piece of kawaii is going extinct. A lot of efforts are being put into preserving its natural environment, the South West region of China.
Cute Kawaii Wolf
Who doesn’t like wolves?!
Wolf symbolizes growth and progress. They’re like dogs but fluffier and represent strength/courage!
Although it’s not good to keep a wolf as a pet, you can still buy a plushie or any accessory that shows off the cuteness they give.
Cute Kawaii Fox
Foxes are animals that represent love. There is nothing more uplifting than watching photos of some cute adorable fox babies, especially during those slow cold winter months.
Cute Kawaii Dragon
Dragons can also be gentle giants. And that’s the thing with the kawaii style– it can present even the most massive creatures in such a cuddly cute way.
Cute Kawaii Bunny
Who doesn’t find little bunnies cute? They’re like fluffier and bigger hamsters and make great pets! Bunnies are made ‘kawaii’ by the viral gamer girl aesthetic. You have seen cute pink gaming chairs with bunny ears, soft pastel rabbit plushies and many of those before, maybe now is the time to buy one or two of those for your room.
Cute Kawaii Unicorns
Who doesn’t love unicorns? I think every one of us has a soft spot for them especially if they are in the colorful pastel soft fairy aesthetic.
Cute Dolphin
They look really cute and harmless, dolphins deserve their love as kawaii sea creatures. They are very smart too and always enjoy playing games with humans!
Cute Dog/Puppy
Dogs are not called “man’s best friend” for nothing! They are very loyal, sweet, and smart – their innate curiosity will fascinate you! If you know a puppy lover, you might want to check out these soft kawaii things to add to the cart. They make lovely gifts when the time is right.
Cute Cat & Kitty
Dogs are more popular than cats on social media, but more people keep cats than dogs. It is because cats aren’t noisy, but their playful antics will keep you amused. Plus, they are low-maintenance pets!
Kitties are like gods in the anime world. Scrolling more videos of these evil cute creatures can surely brighten up your mood. Many of your favorite kawaii cartoon characters are kawaii black cats, do any of these images below recall your sweet childhood memory?
Cute Sloths
Sloths are slow mammals that hang on trees. Because of the movie Zootopia, Sloths have gained recognition and risen to fame for their adorable features.
Cute Kawaii Frog
We know that when you think about frogs, but this one’s different! These kawaii frog accessories and kawaii stuffed animals will kill you with their cuteness.
Kawaii Penguin
If you have a soft spot for Sanrio penguins or you know someone who does, the kawaii animal items we shared are perfect as additions to your collection or as gifts for animal lovers!
Cute Kawaii Dinosaur
Yes, you’ve read it right– dinosaurs can be kawaii too! Although they’re already extinct, this doesn’t prevent them from getting into the Japanese culture of cuteness. In fact, you’ll find a lot of kawaii dinosaur accessories, hoodies, clay, plushies, and many other products.
Kawaii Cute Hedgehog
These kawaii hedgehogs can be good as pets or if you think you don’t have the time to take care of an animal, a plushie of it can be kawaii!
Hold this spiky and snuffly fragile creature and rub its cute pink belly, but don’t be too pushy, as hedgehogs have their own personalities and temperaments.
Cute Monkey
Here are some of the most kawaii baby monkeys out there that will definitely melt your heart! They are the perfect gift for an animal lover kid.
Kawaii Bat
I hope bats can still be perceived as kawaii after the global pandemic… If you really want a cute bat or it can be a spirit animal, having a plushie added to your room for decoration or for cuddling is never a bad idea!
Cute Kawaii Narwhal
Don’t you wish you can just bring a narwhal home? It is NOT a fairy animal but a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large “tusk” from a protruding canine tooth. If you love their surreal look you can get the stuffed toy of this sea animal to cuddle and hug.
Kawaii Cute Alpacas
Alpaca plushies come in different sizes and are very cute. You can also get cute socks, blankets, sweaters, and clothing made of real alpaca wool (finer, softer hair than llama wool). Alpaca is soft and comfortable to hug. Want to get a good night’s sleep? Hug an alpaca plushie. Feeling down? Hug an alpaca plushie. There are just too many uses for it! Also, it is a very kawaii addition to your room too.
Kawaii Llamas
Llamas are very gentle, calm, shy, and very curious animals. They are easy to handle for little kids. Llamas are different from alpacas, llamas are bigger in size. Llamas have more-elongated faces with banana-sized ears, while alpacas have small, blunt faces with short ears.
Cute Kawaii Bear
Looking for a cute animal that is brown? Kawaii Teddy bear is your answer!
There are actually a lot of bear plushies and accessories you can purchase online that resemble the cutest creatures!
Kawaii Cute Hamsters
Hamsters are very tiny pocket pets and are often seen as popular characters for anime or cartoons. There are actually 24 species of them. It won’t be enough to just feed them. Give time for them and show them your love. When you’re coming home from a long day, it’s good to have a pet to be with you and you can immediately have your mood refreshed!
What Kawaii Animal Are You?
I know you’d like to get at least one of these kawaii animals as your spirit animal but it’s best to know which one is the best for you. With all these adorable creatures, it can be hard to choose the best especially when it depends on the preference of each person. Consider these questions when you are researching for the answer.
- Which animal anime character do you like the most?
- What is your good luck animal?
- What is your spirit animal?
- What is your favorite color for animals?
- What animal qualities are you looking for?
- Do you like animals from the sky, the forest, the wetland or the ocean?
- Do you prefer a real animal, a fairy beast, or a cute animal that exists only in anime or cartoons?
- Which animal do you think resembles you most?
- Which animal do you think you are most at calm to?
It’s a guarantee that seeing a kawaii plushie, pet or generally a cute animal can instantly uplift your mood. It gives calming vibe and a lot of happiness when you are being comforted with these cute little critters. Life is definitely better when you embrace doses of the kawaii style.