critter
n. countable B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɹɪtɝ// UK //kɹˈɪtɐ// crit·ter
n. a small animal, especially one that is cute or lives in the wild. People often use this word when they find a bug or a mouse in their house.
n. a small animal, typically one that is perceived as cute or harmless. Informal in register; frequently used in North American English to refer to insects, rodents, or small mammals.
I found a little critter hiding under the porch.
The children were excited to see a small critter scurrying through the tall grass in the backyard.
First attested 1815, from a dialectal pronunciation of creature.