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A cute video or photograph of any animal, whether it be a cat, dog or panda can boost your happiness. Although it seems like a waste of time, scientists are able to pinpoint some "evolutionary reason" we love them. We adore animals that have features similar to human babies, such as big eyes, cheeks and round features. Cat videos are often shot around baby animals with similar features.

"These features are so ingrained in us to respond to. Our survival depends on us taking care of our young. It's part of our human species to respond to these features," said Oriana Aragon, a psychologist at Yale.

Research shows that just looking at these videos boosts the dopamine in our brains. The reaction to cat videos is the same as that of "eating chocolate, having sex or exercising", as it generates dopamine, the happy hormone, reported CNN.

Even though you wouldn't have sought them out eagerly, you might have come across them through social networks and then fall into the YouTube spiral. That is, you spend a lot of time just watching all the related videos on the side, reported Forbes.

Moreover, research shows that just watching dog or cat videos is not unproductive or a waste of time, according to a Japanese study. "This study shows that viewing cute things improves subsequent performance in tasks that require behavioral carefulness, possibly by narrowing the breadth of attentional focus," said Hiroshi Nittono, the lead researcher of the study conducted on 132 students at Hiroshima University.

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