Los Angeles native Mike Stilkey has always been attracted to painting and drawing not only on vintage paper, record covers and book pages, but on the books themselves. Using a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer, Stilkey depicts a melancholic and at times a whimsical cast of characters inhabiting ambiguous spaces and narratives of fantasy and fairy tales. A lingering sense of loss and longing hints at emotional depth and draws the viewer into their introspective thrall with a mixture of capricious poetry, wit, and mystery. (Photo by Mike Stilkey)

“The red panda (Ailurus fulgens, or shining-cat), is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs. It feeds mainly on bamboo, but is omnivorous and may also eat eggs, birds, insects, and small mammals. It is a solitary animal, mainly active from dusk to dawn, and is largely sedentary during the day”. – Wikipedia

Photo: In this handout image provided by Taronga Zoo, Seba, a baby Red Panda, explores his new home at Taronga Zoo on April 7, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. The Red Panda cub was born at Christmas and is the 45th to be born at the zoo since 1977. (Photo by Peter Hardin/Taronga Zoo via Getty Images)

A tiger jumps while being trained at the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, Thailand, February 25, 2016. Thailand's controversial Tiger Temple, dogged for years by talk that it supplies the black market and mistreats its animals, is fighting to keep the big cats after wildlife authorities rejected a bid to extend a zoo licence that expired in 2013. The Buddhist temple, home to more than 100 tigers, has been investigated for suspected links to wildlife trafficking and wildlife activists have accused it of illegal breeding of the animals. Thai wildlife authorities have sent ten of the temple's tigers to a wildlife sanctuary. But the temple, which bills itself as a wildlife sanctuary, has denied links to illegal trafficking, and wants to hold on to its tigers. (Photo by Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)

Rabbits have been kept as pets in Western nations since the 19th century. Rabbits kept indoors with proper care have a lifespan between 9 to 12 years. Rabbits are social animals. Rabbits as pets can find their companionship with a variety of creatures, including humans, other rabbits, guinea pigs, and sometimes even cats and dogs. Domestic rabbits that do not live indoors can also often serve as companions for their owners, typically living in an easily accessible hutch outside the home.

Photo by: jpockele; Source: Flickr

A photograph of a dog taken from underneath on December 2016 in VA, Canada. Forget the cats, itÌs just raining dogs! A creative duo have come up with an innovative way to raise money for animal welfare; photographing dogs as youÌve never seen them before. Professional photographer Jason Kenzie and designer Tania Ryan have created a unique set of images from the underside of dogs, named The Underdogs Project. The project will be featured as a 2017 calendar, with each month belonging to a quirky canine. (Photo by The Underdogs Project/Barcroft Images)

With their affinity for hunting, sneaking, and hidden blade-like retractable claw, cats are really the assassins of the animal world. They're not as intimidating when they're kittens dressed up as assassins from the upcoming Assassin's Creed Unity, but what they lack in deadliness they more than make up for in cuteness. YouTube user Mr.TVCow posted the video, in which four hooded kittens hunt down a french soldier, much like like in a number of trailers for Assassin's Creed Unity. They use their eagle vision ability, parkour after their target, and perform lethal aerial assassinations, and yes, it's as unbearably adorable as it sounds.

An orange cat wears sunglasses and a jacket before taking part in an orange cat competition on July 02, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand's Cat Fanciers' Club hosted an orange cat competition during a Cat Expo at Bangkok's Central Westgate Mall. Over 70 cats were judged on fur color, health and friendliness. A one year old cat named Chuan Long, after the Chinese Kung Fu boxer, took home first prize. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

A stray cat is checked on the eve of International Cat Day in Banda Aceh on August 7, 2023. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)