News & Politics

Because It’s Friday: More Cute Baby Animals From the National Zoo

A look at the two fishing cat kittens, the first to be successfully bred at the zoo.

They’re so fuzzy! Photograph by Courtney Janney, Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Today we received this adorable photo plus this
message from the National Zoo: “At six weeks old, the Smithsonian’s
National Zoo’s two fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
kittens, a male and female, received a clean bill of health from
zoo veterinarians June 29. The veterinary team performed a
complete physical exam, which includes: listening to the kittens’
heart and lungs; checking their mouths, eyes, legs, feet, and
genital area; and feeling their bellies. The kittens also received
the first of a series of vaccines that protect against feline
distemper and some upper respiratory viruses. The kittens’ birth
marked an important milestone: This is the first time fishing
cats have successfully bred and produced young at the National
Zoo.”

As promised in our earlier piece on baby animals
at the zoo
,

we will keep you updated on all developments in this department
of cuteness.