Adorable Photos Of Animals Eating That Are An Instant Serotonin Boost

Surely the only thing cuter than pictures of happy animals is pictures of happy animals eating food? Well, prepare to feast your eyes on these. We’ve gathered the cutest, silliest, funniest, and most ridiculous photographs from around the internet of our furry friends enjoying mealtime. You have never seen a photo list quite this adorable. Trigger warning: happy hormones incoming.

1. “My compliments to the chef!”

Here we have a frankly awesome photo from 1958. It shows a young chimpanzee called Kokomo Jr. sitting at a table in the New York City apartment of his owner eating a plate of cherries with a spoon. Kokomo Jr. is dressed up to the nines in a waistcoat and a shirt, complemented with a bow tie. How dapper he does look as he enjoys a dose of vitamin C? Cherry nice!

2. Baby’s first meal

“Aww,” is the first thing that comes out of our mouths when we see this snap of a teen tiny kitty being bottle-fed by a caring human. This particular newborn kitten was orphaned, but it is clinging on to its human for dear life with its tiny paws whilst sucking on the bottle. Wherever you are now, tiny kitten, we hope you’re thriving.

3. “Noodles for one, please”

This male cockatiel looks pretty pleased with himself. Just look at that cheeky grin. And no wonder, as this sneaky yellow-headed parrot, native to Australia, has landed on a fine meal of flavored noodles. It looks as though he’s crept up to his owner’s dinner plate when their back was turned and then proceeded to suck up the noodles through his beak. Thankfully, someone got photographic evidence of this moment and caught this cheeky chappie in the act!

4. Mr. Steal Yo’ Pancakes

One thing about having a dog as a pet is that they’re almost always hungry. Even when they’ve just eaten — or literally in the process of eating! — they still want your food. So, if there’s a pooch in your home, prepare to be on red alert all the time. Because if you turn your back or leave the table for two seconds, this photo happens. A ravenous canine like this cheeky corgi will try to get on the table and steal your pancakes, or whatever else you’re eating. But how can you be mad when it looks as adorable as that?

5. Sharing is caring

This vintage picture of a thirsty kitty supping milk out of a glass alongside a little girl doing the same is just too much cuteness for us to handle! Taken back in 1949, the black-and-white snap shows a girl from Brooklyn called Barbara Baiena and her cute kitten, who had a special talent: drinking milk through a straw in unison with her owner! Now that’s adorable and impressive.

6. Diving into dinner

Halloween is the time of year when giant pumpkins are placed outside homes all across the U.S. as spooky decorations. But some hungry critters see these festive ornaments as the perfect snacking opportunity! Check out this ravenous squirrel in Illinois, who was spotted literally launching itself into a carved pumpkin for a much-needed feed. Too cute, but we hope that it didn’t get stuck inside!

7. Helping hand

If there’s a much cuter photograph on the internet than the one above, we are yet to see it. This snap of a sheepdog named Jaff feeding an orphaned lamb with a bottle of milk held still in its jaws has literally cleansed our souls with its overwhelming wholesomeness. The photo was taken in spring 1977 on a farm in north Wales, where Jaff mothered two orphaned lambs, including this one. Oh Jaff, you melt our hearts!

8. Open wide!

Turtles are adorable creatures in our eyes. The shelled reptiles have many different types, including some that live exclusively at sea and others that reside predominantly on land. The little turtle in the photograph above is seriously interested in that juicy strawberry its handler is holding. Eyes fixed firmly on the prize, mouth wide open, it is trying desperately to take a chunk out of the fruit. “C’mon, man, give me a bite!”

9. Fridge thief!

This remarkable photograph shows Tamoo, a 25-pound gorilla, caught in the act of stealing some dessert from a refrigerator. The highly intelligent animal clearly knows how to get what he wants, and at the moment this photo was captured, that was clearly some tasty leftovers! Tamoo lived peacefully in the Joseph H. Scheunmann home as a valued family member. We love his desperately-trying-to-look-innocent face and little green pants!

10. Googly-eyed for treats

“Who’s a good boy?” Clearly this handsome chocolate Labrador is, as he’s about to receive a treat from his owner — and we’ve never seen anyone look as happy about it. Just look at those eyes of his, which have become slightly crossed as he looks up lovingly at his owner in anticipation of being given a bone-shaped biscuit. We can only speculate what he did to earn the treat, but our money is on looking darned cute!

11. A bite of bamboo

Like their close cousin the giant panda, red pandas like to feed on bamboo. Indeed, the plant makes up around 95 percent of the red panda’s diet. The photograph above serves to illustrate how much this ridiculously cute mammal loves to chomp on the crunchy plant. Just look at the concentration on its face, as it holds on to the bamboo stalk with its claws and devours one of the leaves. Yum yum.

12. A doe-lightful snack

This young deer seems to be saying to the person dangling the carrot in front of them, “I’d deer-ly like a bit of that juicy carrot, please.” That’s what we like to imagine, anyway! Look at those big, dark eyes, totally fixed on the prize. Ready to jump up and bite that bright orange stick full of nutrients, if need be!

13. Lemur’s lunchtime

This remarkable photograph was taken in the summer of 2016 in the city of Izmir, Turkey. It shows a thirsty lemur in the city’s Nature Park desperately trying to cool down in the repressive summer heat by licking a block of ice full of fruit. Interestingly, these are made specifically for the animals who have lost their usual hunger because of the heat. This lemur seems to have gotten its appetite back, gleefully gripping on and licking the ice and fruit whilst looking ridiculously adorable. How refreshing!

14. A tasty dandelion

What do we have here? Oh, just a handsome guinea pig foraging in the deep green grass of summer, chomping happily on a dandelion. Like most other guinea pigs, Teddy is a big fan of summer plants, as you can see from the mischievous grin on his chubby little face. Keep being you, Teddy.

15. Hay you! Please feed me

This pretty brown alpaca seems to be telling its owner, “Al-paca a lot of this hay in my mouth, thank you very much!” And that’s exactly what he or she is doing, crunching away on the hay in that inimitable alpaca way. This serotonin-boosting photo was taken in Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts in fall 2012.

16. Gimme that candy!

What do we have here? Ah, only two adorable raccoons desperately trying to grab Halloween treats on sticks from some Chinese children. The treats consist of steamed cornbread and carrots, and they must smell or taste good, as the racoons seem awfully keen to get their furry mitts on them. This heartwarming photograph was taken in Yunana Satari Park in Kunming, China, back in October 2021.

17. Happy lil’ quokka with his leaf

Quokkas are known for their adorable features and sunny disposition. In fact, the fabulous furry mammals — which are only native to Western Australia — are sometimes labeled “the happiest animals on the planet” for their adorable — and almost omnipresent — smile. The quokka above was snapped on Rottnest island, and looks delighted to be munching on a nutritious green leaf and posing for the camera. Aww!

18. Food? Me?

This beautiful brown squirrel was seen stuffing its little cheeks with nuts somewhere in the wild in Ottawa, Canada. The photographer Alex Lauzon managed to capture the rodent just as its enlarged cheek bulged out with the sizable nut. It almost has a look of guilt on its face at being snapped in such a manner. What a cool and arty photo!

19. High life for this happy hamster

The wonderful Mr. Marshmallow became something of an internet celebrity during his short but storied life. The cute little rodent became widely known as “the most spoiled hamster on the planet,” after a series of videos of him enjoying elaborate picnics his human dad made for him emerged online. Here Mr. Marshmallow is seen enjoying his favorite spaghetti with a bit of tomato and cucumber garnish. The way he holds and practically inhales the pasta is quite frankly one of the cutest things we’ve ever seen.

20. Porcupine crunching corn

Here’s a happy porcupine, chowing down on a cob of corn like there’s no tomorrow. Did you know that this is the favorite food of this ultra-spiky rodent? Well, it’s true, even though porcupines are unfussy eaters who are pretty happy to eat anything from tree bark, grasses, berries, seeds, and leaves. But corn on the cob is their all-time fave snack, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo website. Yum.

21. Slurping on shellfish

Otters are one of the cutest animals around, with their photogenic appearance, mischievous personalities, and endearing noises and squeals. The aquatic mammals are perhaps at their happiest when they are chowing down on some fish. Exhibit A is this handsome otter pictured above, who is positively beaming whilst lying on its back in the water and enjoying some freshly caught shellfish.

22. Broccoli boy

Have you ever looked as happy as this dog does when served with some broccoli? Highly unlikely, we’d imagine! But this very good boy clearly loves the healthy green veg, and wants his owner to know about it. What a smile from a thankful and friendly canine. Does he want some brussels sprouts off our plate as well?

23. Dunkin’ parrot

This amusing and adorable photograph was taken back in April 1985. It shows Jasper, a green Amazon parrot, enjoying a treat of an unusual kind. Yes, Jasper is dunking a Rich Tea biscuit into a cup of tea in a fancy teacup. We are assuming Jasper was living as a pet in Britain, because it doesn’t get more British than that.

24. Greedy gerbil

On a scale of happiness from zero to ten, this hungry gerbil would be a big fat 11. And why not, when he has got a turnip cabbage that is so big it is about as high as him? Plenty to eat there, and share with his gerbil friends. Or perhaps not, if he’s feeling really hungry or selfish. Stunning smile though!

25. Nibbling chinchilla

Originating in South America, chinchillas have become popular pets around the world. The densely-furred rodents are generally quite chill or even shy, but like many mammals appreciate a bit of love and attention plus a good treat. Much like this pretty little dude in his cage, who has some kind of tasty snack in his little paws and is happy as Larry about it.

26. Cat who got the cream

This epic photograph of a kitty eating an ice cream was shot way back in 1952. The lightly-furred feline was called Kippy, and he is clearly enjoying its cold treat. We particularly like the way he is holding the cone in his paws, and the splodge of cream underneath his nose. That’s happened to us a lot too, Kippy!

27. Birthday good boy

This photograph made us so happy when we first saw it. Any worries we had just seemed to subside when setting eyes on this extremely joyful pup on his birthday, being given a large cake in the shape of a bone by his owner. Kastey uploaded the image of her smiling pup to imgur back in May 2015 entitled “Happy Birthday to my Best Friend,” and it has since racked up over 68,000 views and over 5,000 likes. Okay, a few thousand of the views might have been us, but we’re not sorry.

28. That’s lunch sorted!

Dolphins are among the smartest and the friendliest of all mammals on earth. They also have a glorious smiley face to go with their playful nature. This female bottlenose dolphin spotted off the coast of Curacao is a case in point. Look how happy she is to have caught a parrotfish for her lunch, and to pose for the camera with it in her mouth.

29. Ravenous rabbit

It’s a well-known fact that rabbits love to eat carrots, and Bugs Bunny served to prove it. But they are not a natural food source for them, and should only be provided as a treat, because they are high in sugar. Still, this super-cute baby rabbit is enjoying his carrot stick treat. Look at his chubby little cheeks as he chews on it: what an uplifting sight!

30. Doug the pug dug this watermelon

Doug the pug is a bona fide internet celebrity with over 3 million Instagram followers. The King of Pop Culture even has his own merch! Anyway, these millions of people all follow to see Doug’s next super-cute move. One of the most adorable we’ve seen is the above photograph of Doug biting into a watermelon, with his eyes closed for some reason. Maybe it’s the sweetness of it, Doug?

31. Hungry hedgehog

This little hedgehog has been attracted to some bait that has been left out for him. He didn’t need much of an invitation to move in and eat whatever food was left out for him by his human, so it must have been tasty. He certainly seems to be enjoying it, given by the look on his adorable little face. Nom-nom!

32. Nuts for peanuts

With a face like butter that wouldn’t melt, this monkey poses for the camera as it prepares to munch on a big peanut. The happiness in its eyes is plain to see. And why not? Wouldn’t you be content if it was a lazy summer afternoon, and you had a handful of crunchy peanuts to devour? Bliss!

33. Thirsty pup

This gorgeous little pup is in its element. Wrapped in a warm blanket and sucking on a bottle full of tasty milk, life doesn’t get much better for a puppy. Apart from playtime, of course. Which is perhaps what this cute little canine is thinking of, as it stares absentmindedly into the distance.

34. Squirrel snack-time

This squirrel has got its little claws on a snack, and boy is it happy about it. The look on its face is one of sheer delight: it’s almost as if it wants the world to know how content it is to have this food. The photographer of this remarkable photo captured the squirrel as it took a moment to reflect before putting the food in its mouth.

35. Guilty lemur

This hungry lemur looks like it has been caught red-handed! Guilt is absolutely written all over its furry little face, eyes beaming out in apparent shock as it realizes the game is up. Perhaps the lemur has sneaked some food it shouldn’t have, behind its mother’s back? But ultimately it has decided, “What the Hell, I’m hungry,” and stuffed its face with a juicy piece of celery anyway. Fair enough!

36. Ma-caught in the act

Here’s Charlie the red parrot, absolutely destroying an ice cream and the edible cone it was served up in. Who knew parrots liked ice cream? For all we know, he probably swooped down and stole it off a little child who is now crying its eyes out. You might say the photographer then ma-caught him in the act. Absolutely no shame, have you Charlie? But then he does look adorable.

37. He must be a picky eater!

This rhesus monkey went by the name Johnny Rhesus, and lived on an Australian farm in the 1960s. Johnny loved driving around on a tractor on the farm — yes really! But here he is in a photograph from spring 1964 all dressed up and tucking into some hard-earned lunch with a spoon whilst sitting at a table. Johnny even has a bib around his neck, so he doesn’t get any of the meal on his little blue jumper. Aww!

38. Juniper’s joy

Juniper is a domesticated fox who is a popular internet celeb, with nearly 3 million people following her antics on Instagram. To be honest, it’s easy to see why they would, as Juniper is a ridiculously cute and mischievous vixen. She even has a dog boyfriend, called Moose. Here’s Juniper taking a bite of a specially made cake for her eighth birthday to boost your serotonin levels. You’re welcome!

39. Piglet pleasure

This cheeky little piglet has a mouthful of hay and doesn’t care one bit who knows about it. The piglet seems to have wandered away from its momma and siblings for a while, in order to explore its surroundings and graze the hay alone. And it looks really happy doing so, which in turn makes us feel content seeing this photograph.

40. Criminal groundhog

Finally, we have Chunk the groundhog, an adorable garden thief who became something of an internet celebrity when he was caught on camera munching through all the carefully planted fruit and veggies of a gardener named Jeff. Naturally, Jeff had wondered who was chomping all the food he was growing, and so set up a motion-detection camera to catch the culprit in action. It was Chunk, and he wasn’t bothered about being seen! Though annoyed at first, eventually Jeff embraced Chunk, because how could you not, given how adorable he is? Here’s Chunk munching on some corn for your viewing pleasure, as captured by the hidden camera. Nom nom!