H. Beam Piper 
Little Fuzzy 

Zarathustra was an uninhabited planet, and the Chartered Zarathustra Company owned it lock, stock and barrel. They developed it, exploited it, and reaped huge profits without any interference from the government. Then, out of nowhere, came Jack Holloway with a family of "Fuzzies, " and a good deal of evidence that they were far more than cute, cuddly animals!

Little Fuzzy is the classic 1962 science fiction novel by H. Beam Piper nominated for the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The story revolves around determining whether a small furry species discovered on the planet Zarathustra is sapien (human), followed by its sequel The Other Human Race in 1964.