It’s no secret that cats and dogs dominate the Internet (though cats would take issue with that statement). Throughout the year, adorable photos and heartwarming stories about feline fuzzballs and canine companions distracted us from the daily grind. They became celebrities. With the end of the year in sight, we felt it was only proper to give the most popular pussycats and pups their due. Here are some of the greatest cats and dogs that ruled our hearts in 2014. There is an endless supply of adorbs in the animal department, so be sure to mention any personal favorites, below.
This Shiba Inu fancies himself an employee at a tiny newsstand in Japan, greeting customers with a smile all day long.
Little Jeremy Triantafilo from Bakersfield, California was riding his bike in his family’s driveway when a dog attacked him. Family kitty Tara came to the rescue, chasing the offending pooch away. Note to dogs: do not mess with Tara’s humans.
Bulgaria’s mysterious green cat recently drew attention from around the world. Online animal activists turned heated, ready to catch the culprit for such a dangerous and cruel act — but it’s said that kitty’s coat turned the color of the Incredible Hulk after sleeping on a bag of green paint in a garage.
More dogs with literary names, dressed as garden gnomes, please. This is Gatsby (whose siblings are Scout and Pembroke).
Setsu-chan is a gorgeous white cat with stunning blue eyes. But he’s an ugly sleeper, evidenced by the photos uploaded on his owner’s Twitter account. It’s a situation worse than resting bitch face.
Munchkin the Shih Tzu teddy bear is cuter than an Ewok.
The bodega cat is one of New York City’s greatest traditions — and the helpful, friendly felines finally got their due in an adorable series that debuted this year, Bodega Cats In Their Own Words.
Hurricane Katrina survivor 12-year-old Boots works with the Arizona Humane Society (who rescued him following the disaster) in their kitten nursery. The canine nanny helps to socialize the animals so they become more adoptable.
Mr. Bub Fuzzins is “a fuzzy ball of kitteh love! He’s got a cleft palate, one unruly fang, and will only drink his water from a rocks glass.”
Buddy showed his baby human how to crawl — and a collective “Awww!” was heard around the world.
Meowseph Stalin, probably friends with Kitler, bears an uncanny resemblance to the former leader of the Soviet Union.
High school senior Draven Rodriguez posed with his cat Mr. Bugglesworth for this amazing high school yearbook photo.
And then principal Diane Wilkinson, and her Chihuahua Vivienne, joined them.
The pussycats from Meow Parlour, New York City’s first cat café (second in the U.S.), almost broke the Internet when the hotspot debuted several weeks ago. All the free-roaming kitties are adoptable (thanks to help from no-kill rescue group KittyKind).
Tally the Husky can perform an epic cat loaf and enjoys hiding inside cardboard boxes. The sweet pup grew up around cats and behaves like one.