7 Adorable Animals That You Might Not Be Aware of ...

These adorable animals that resemble house cats with over-sized ears hang out in the deserts of northern Africa and southwest and central Asia. They probably chose to make their homes in these inhospitable areas because they want to avoid being snuggled to death by smitten humans. The small wildcats with short legs might look cute, but they're hardy little critters that can survive in environments that can be extremely hot or extremely cold. They're also solitary creatures that can live for months without water. However, they do have to get a little liquid from the tiny animals that they hunt.

Speaking of tiny animals, this rodent would probably be on the sand cat's menu if it lived on the same continent. There are all sorts of crazy predators in Australia, but the biggest threats to the endangered bilby are actually other cute critters—feral rabbits are destroying their habitat. That's why there's a movement to replace the Easter Bunny with the Easter Bilby in Australia. The bilby is a marsupial that looks like a cross between a rabbit and a kangaroo, and it makes the perfect replacement for the Easter bunny since it has a pouch to carry its Easter eggs in. It would definitely be sad to see this adorable creature die off, so hopefully the Easter Bilby movement pays off.

This is another marsupial that can be found in parts of Australia and New Guinea. Tree kangaroos live in the rainforest, where they spend the majority of their lives in trees. So they're like a cute combination of koala bears and kangaroos. They use their large tails for balance, and they can leap from tree to tree with ease. The critters' faces remind me of bear cubs, and they're covered in fur that looks really soft and fuzzy. So there's definitely an adorableness overload going on here.

It's easy to see how this animal got its name. Looking at one, you'd think that scientists found a way to combine mouse and deer DNA. Mouse deer have tiny, stick-thin legs and fat little bellies that make them look like deer mice on stilts. The cute critters only weigh a few pounds, and their dark eyes look way too big for their heads. These pygmy Bambis can be found in the in forests of South and Southeast Asia.

This creature doesn't resemble a panda much at all. Instead it looks like a combination of a raccoon, fox, and bear. However, it does munch on bamboo just like black and white pandas, and it also makes its home in parts of China. The red panda has a ringed tail and a fluffy face with distinctive markings, and it's not much bigger than a house cat. When it feels threatened, it can stand on its hind legs to make itself appear bigger. However, this action might make a human "threat" attempt to give it a hug.

Bats are often viewed as being scary little beings because of their association with vampires. However, some of them can be quite cute. These winged critters might be named after a fox, but they have faces that look more dog-like (if only they could learn how to play fetch while in flight!). The bats' big, dark eyes will definitely make your heart melt, and how cool is it that they can hang upside down while wrapped up in their massive wings? The spectacled flying fox is a megabat that lives in Australia, where it munches on foods like flowers and fruits. So you'll be relieved to learn that it's not a flying chupacabra that's out to drain your blood.

This rare mammal has been described as looking like a cross between a house cat and a teddy bear. It has reddish-brown fur and a face resembling that of a fisher, and it's smaller than a house cat. The olinguito is a member of the raccoon family that makes its home in the Andes of western Colombia and Ecuador. Here it hangs out in the foggy "cloud forest." The species was discovered just this year, so perhaps there are other adorable animals hiding out there.

So from flying Fidos to diminutive deer and living teddy bears, there are adorable animals everywhere. Sadly, a lot of these cute critters' lives are in danger because of hunting and deforestation, so we've got to work on finding ways to save their habitats. If only spreading photos of the fuzzy wuzzies was enough! So which of these adorable animals is your favorite?