When Tim Newton heard a noise on his deck last Tuesday, September 27, he decided he’d better go check it out. Newton lives in Alaska; in the past, his backyard has been visited by bear, moose, and other large creatures.

When he looked out his window, though, his concern evaporated. This was just a pack of seven little kittens, horsing around. But then he glanced down at their paws. These kittens, it turns out, were lynxes.

Newton is a big lynx fan: “I was thrilled,” Newton later told KTUU. Luckily for the world, he also happens to be a hobbyist wildlife photographer, and was thus well-equipped to share his joy.

He spent the next half hour snapping photos of the kittens as they gamboled all over deck, pouncing on each other, batting at his petunias, and—eventually—bringing their mom over to look at the strange indoor primate with the loud clicking machine in front of his face.

After a short visit, the kittens’ mom led her kids back into the wilderness. But over the course of the week, Newton’s photos of them have gone viral, gaining coverage from Miami to London to Singapore—almost as though difficult times call for supersized kittens, and lots of them.

So even if you’ve already gazed upon these kittens, you may want to take a minute and give yourself another dose. You can see (and get your paws on) a couple of dozen lynx photos on Newton’s website.

Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.