There are many reasons we need animals, and many things we can learn from them, but the main one for me is to just watch them and see how amazing and beautiful they are.
To paraphrase an idea of R’ Avigdor Miller Zatzal, they testify to creation.
More than a flower or a tree or landscape, when I stop to look at animals, you just become speechless and marvel their form and behavior. They are samples of creation to behold.
Whether a fluffy squirrel who runs away or a fluffy cat who comes to sit on your lap or being captivated by the power of a tiger or the oddity of an insect, animals can put you in a sphere of spiritual contemplation where time stops and you watch with amazement. In a way, taking time to watch animals is more an experience than a thought.