Have you ever shared a cute photo of an animal with a friend? In a new study, scientists looked at why people love to exchange images of adorable creatures. They found that when it comes to cute animals, sharing is caring.

Scientists from Concordia University and ESSEC Business School interviewed animal content creators—people who post and share photos of animals online—and asked them why they posted the photos. The scientists also interviewed people who love to look at these photos. This group was asked what kind of animal images they liked, how the images made them feel, and whether they shared the images with other people.

The scientists found that people share animal photos with friends and loved ones because they think the pictures are cute or funny. But that’s not all. It turns out that sharing photos is a way to bond with, or feel closer to, other people.

The scientists say cute photos make us feel positive emotions we hope our friends will feel when we share the photos with them. In other words, we want to make our friends feel good.

The scientists also discovered that people put a lot of thought into which photos they share, and who they share them with. Sharing a certain photo with a particular friend means you’re thinking of what that friend would like and showing how well you know and care about that friend. It’s as if you’ve picked out the perfect gift.

Photos are also shared to remind the other person of shared experiences or emotions. For example, someone might send a photo of two jumping dogs with the message, “Remember when we went to the trampoline park?” 

In many ways, sharing cute animal photos is a great way to say you care. It’s also a lot of fun.