A group of researchers out in the field made a startling and utterly heartwarming discovery not too long ago: they found evidence of the presence of rare cats on Mount Everest.

The Pallas’ cats, also known as manuls, had some way of going undetected all the way up until the year 2019. At the very least, two of them can be found residing somewhere along the southern flank of Mount Everest. The discovery is extremely important for researchers and conservationists all over the world, and it is also ridiculously adorable for everyone else.

Pallas’s cats are roughly the same size as common housecats, but they have a few endearing characteristics that set them apart. They appear to be chubby little stuffed animals due to the fact that their legs are extremely short, and their fur is thick and fluffy. In reality, they are much more manageable in size and weight than they appear to be.

In an article written for the Wildlife Conservation Society, Dr. Tracie Seimon, who works for the organization’s Zoological Health Program, stated that “it is phenomenal to discover proof of this rare and remarkable species at the top of the world.”

In the future, research will assist in determining the precise number of Pallas’ cats that call Mount Everest home, and it will also assist in protecting these cats so that they can continue to live their best lives.