Abstract Validated by neoliberal cultures primarily as affective laborers whose purpose is to evoke sentiment and commitment, companion species became subject to cuteness engineering. This process involves altering the biological makeup and behavioral traits of animals toward exaggerated infantilism to enable specific emotional experiences for humans. Within the framework of postmodern critical theory and cuteness studies, this research explores miniaturization and neotenization in the breeding and representation of companion animals to rethink ethical concerns tied to the production techniques and marketing of excessively miniature pets. Engaging with expertise from disciplines including human-animal studies, ethics, and industrial design, this paper considers several aesthetic and affective paradoxes of contemporary pet-making to speculate upon their role in shaping our attitudes toward nonhuman animals in general.