Just 18 Ridiculously Cute Pets We Saw in House Tours This Year

As someone whose camera roll is mostly filled with photos of my dog in cute, disobedient, or bizarre positions, I know how difficult it can be to take great — read: not blurry — photos of a creature that doesn’t speak a human language. But somehow, the photographers who document our house tours are fantastic at capturing the cutest pet moments, from cats perched on sunny windowsills to dogs laying perfectly still on beds and couches. Maybe it’s because they’re professionals? Regardless, it’s a delight, and perhaps the only thing I love more than seeing how people decorate their spaces is meeting their pets (even if virtually).

For all the other animal lovers out there, we’ve gathered some of the most adorable, fluffy, and stately pets featured in home tours throughout the years. Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Not only was this Florence, Italy, apartment the most popular house tour of the year, it’s also home to the sweetest little kitten, Rosallina, whom homeowners Sara and Luigi recently brought home.

What’s that? An entire tour devoted to rescue cats and their various beds, perches, and chill zones? Yes, this is a cat sanctuary designed to look like a suburban house from the 1970s, and it’s just as incredible as it sounds.

Stephanie Wilson lives in this Denver apartment with her boyfriend, Matt, but the real owners are Sweet Pea (an 80-pound boxer), and her sidekick, Gidget (a three-pound Chihuahua rescue). “Sweet Pea claimed the couch as her own as soon as she came to visit the first time,” Stephanie says. “In fact, she kinda moved in before her dad did. Matt lived in the same building two floors down, and when the elevator would stop on his floor when we were on our way up, she refused to get out to go back to her apartment.”

What’s better than one dog or one cat in a house tour? Oh, one of each, of course. DC-based artist Erin Shirley shares her lush apartment with Aster and Szutt, who are equally adorable.

Yes, this cat’s name is Tyrion Lannister Cream Puff, and it couldn’t be more perfect for him. Mr. Lannister Cream Puff lives with his human, Grace Atwood, in Charleston, South Carolina. “Tyrion loves the big windows in the living room,” Atwood says, “He’s usually perched in the window, watching birds or the neighborhood dogs. Everyone in my building seems to have a dog, and they all love coming to say hello to Tyrion!” 

Birdie lives in a charming, 350-square-foot carriage house in Philadelphia, where she particularly loves to hang on the screened-in porch, spying on wildlife in the yard.

Residents of Boise, Autzen and Elaine are lucky enough to live among lots of art, books, and tiny house sculptures.

There’s nothing better than a window perch for a cat, proven by Los Angeles-based kitty, Bear.

Leo the Pomeranian is lucky enough to live in a rainbow NYC dream, where his mom, Jessica, has decorated with a giant gummy bear, a “Friends” replica front door, and tons of DIYed art.

Ah, to be a cat in a 2,000-square-foot Hollywood home, with plenty of sun-drenched places to relax. Pony lives this life, and mom Champagne says he “especially loves enjoying the day basking in the sun-lit patios!” Lucky Pony!

Have you ever seen a cuter underbite? You’d be hard-pressed to find one. Flex lives in Los Angeles in a boldly-DIYed home, and can be found chatting with his mom, Franchesca, in his free time. “When I’m not at the pool with friends/neighbors,” says Franchesca, “I’m inside working, cooking, and talking to my dog.”

Another fabulously named cat, Miss Jo March (or Jo for short) lives in a “Little Women”-meets-nautical 570-square-foot studio, with her mom, Madison, in Seattle. If we had to guess, Jo probably spends a lot of free time writing.

Rita lives in a gorgeously designed Barcelona home, which mixes mountain cottage vibes with Mediterranean inspiration. As you can see, she’s right at home perched on an armchair in the living room.

Cats Pumpkin and Stringbean are living their very best boldly colored lives in a 1924 Chicago bungalow, bursting at the seams with vibrant hues, pop art, and whimsical touches. Their mom, Becky, even converted a coat closet into a “cat room,” where the litter boxes are. “My coats all hang on hooks or in my closet, so it was an easy decision to pop a cat door on the coat room and put the litter boxes and an air purifier in there,” Becky says, “now the cats have their own space, and the litter remains mostly contained in the room.”

Maitri Mody‘s NYC apartment is chock-full of color and quirky design choices, but her favorite spot is actually the same as her pug Ari’s. The bed next to the bay window is their favorite spot to watch airplanes at night, see the pink-orange sunrise, and people watch over the street and tennis court below.

It wouldn’t be home without the chickens, at least for home stager, Francesca Grace. “It was love at first sight,” she says, as “the home is canopied by fig trees with space to raise chickens and a brick fireplace for cool California evenings. The morning light dips through the primary bedroom’s stained glass windows and paints rainbows on the hardwood floors. I’m very proud of my Sunset Junction abode.”

This Atlanta, Georgia condo might also be home to Moonpie the cat and Laurel the human (an infectious disease scientist), but perhaps the most interesting resident is Axolotl Rose, the ever-smiling amphibian with charming little gills and delightfully creepy eyes.

Not just the moderately evil cofounder of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin is also an adorable Yorkie who resides in Washington, D.C., with his talented mom, Imani Keal.