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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Joy and delight comin' at ya.

joy, smile, happy
Photo by Count Chris on Unsplash

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

It's Awesome Animals Week at Upworthy! That's what I'm declaring anyway, as nine out of 10 of this week's things that made us smile include creatures being painfully cute or utterly hilarious.

It's not surprising that our furry, feathery and leathery friends so often make these lists. Pets are constant and consistent sources of joy in our lives and wildlife can be wonderfully entertaining.

There are a few humans thrown in here for good measure, though. I considered totally leaning in and only including things that included animals this week, but there was one animal-free video I simply couldn't not include. I saved it for last. You'll see.

We've got wicked smart birds. We've got acrobatic elephants. We've got dogs and cats living together—"MASS HYSTERIA!" (A little OG "Ghostbusters" shoutout for my Gen Xers.) I just love this list and hope you enjoy it too.

1. A parrot named Kiwi gives his human the best kisses and "zerberts."

@tamarasbluechicken

Blue Chicken’s 2nd Birthday is next week! Stay tuned for the surprise 🎂 🎉 #funnypets #parrot #irn #funnyanimals #talkingparrot #thebluechicken

Kiwi is an Indian ring-necked parrot whom Tamara (his owner) refers to as her "blue chicken." He is so dang sweeeeet. "Thank you, baaaaby!" That third zerbert was an outright demand, but how could you say no to Kiwi?

2. When you're terrified of the cat but you really really really want to sleep in your bed.

I love how you can hear everything the dog is thinking as he moves in while trying desperately not to make eye contact with the cat. "Don't mind me…just pretend I'm not here…it's okay, I won't disturb…just let me squeeze…I won't touch, I promise…please don't kill me."

3. Find someone who looks at you the way this dog looks at its human.

The nuzzle at the end. That's just pure adoration right there.

4. Cairo the grey parrot tries to make conversation with a Kewpie doll and holy moly.

@feathersandfriends

He had a lot of catching up to do with the doll! #parrots #cairothegrey #parrotsoftiktok #africangrey

Cairo made the 10 things list several weeks ago for saying hilarious things like, "Don't be a gerbil" and "Smarten up, man!" to the cat who invaded his space. This bird is soooo smart. Look at how many different approaches he takes to try to get the doll to respond. "You talking or what? Yes or no?" Incredible.

5. Hamster picnics are far more adorable than they have any right to be.

@thehamsterstation

He absolutely loves to have a picnic ❤️ #fyp #hamster #hamsters #hamstersoftiktok #thehamsterstation #pet

First of all, this person has two hamsters and their names are Mr. Marshmallow and Mr. Crumpet. STOP IT. Secondly, I didn't know watching a hamster eat a piece of spaghetti at a picnic table was a bucket list experience, yet here I am adding it to my list after the fact. Read more about the delightful lives of Mr. Marshmallow and Mr. Crumpet here.

6. A stranger gave a service dog her pillow on a flight to make him more comfortable.

Come on now. How are we even supposed to handle such human kindness mixed with such good doggo-ness. That last image is just too much.

7. The Kiffness' duet with an alugalugging cat is absolutely epic.

Some cats do this weird "alugalug" sound when they're ticked, and South African musician The Kiffness dueted this one to perfection. So good. Find more from The Kiffness here.

8. Mama elephant out here trying to teach her kiddo, who is apparently totally untrainable.

"Put one arm down first, then bend your knees, then bring down the other arm, then one back leg at a time. Got it?"

He don't got it. Recovered quickly, though!

9. An old man introduced his 4-month-old puppy to the neighborhood cat and it was so wholesome.

@cheyennetylerberry

caught this pure moment and I haven’t stopped smiling since 💖💗💕💝💓💘💞 #viral #dogsofttiktok #catsoftiktok

The video went crazy viral and the man saw it. He made sure to let people know in the comments that he had approached the cat previously to assess its temperament before introducing Ted (the puppy) to it and that Ted had interacted with cats before. Ted's dad didn't want people to think he was endangering either animal. So sweet. Read the full story here.

10. The way this baby looks at Daddy while he's reading is the purest love there is.

See why I had to include that one? Gracious.

I hope you found some things in this list that made you smile! Come back again next week for another roundup of serotonin-boosting content.

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10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

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Did you know that the most popular class ever at Yale University is all about happiness? It's called "Psychology and the Good Life," and there's even a free six-week version of the class for teenagers called “The Science of Well-Being for Teens.”

In his new series, "The Geography of Bliss," on Peacock, actor Rainn Wilson explores what the happiest and unhappiest cultures do differently. The "secrets" he found to bliss are fairly straightforward. Community. Connection. Simplicity. Routinely plunging your body into the frigid waters of Iceland with your friends. (You know, the basics.)

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Hope this week's roundup brings you some measure of bliss. Enjoy!

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