Kittens are the fortunate beneficiaries of an evolutionary principle I call “the survival of the cutest. ” We are wired up to protect small helpless things, because creatures who did not have the desire to do that would have neglected, and perhaps even eaten, the next generation of their species. This is wiring that we short circuit at our peril. Perhaps there is no good reason why we should be more willing to protect small cute things than big ugly things, but it is good for the species that we feel that way. Cats, like babies, teach us to love unconditionally, because they are narcissistic little bastards who do nothing for you, and yet we love them anyway. More on this here:
https://teedrockwell.medium.com/obituary-for-my-cat-108f8d6dd92d