A practical way to narrow this down is to start from the VIA and QMK side rather than the cute side. Look for a hot-swappable 75 percent board that is actually listed as VIA-supported, and test that claim before you commit if you can: with the board connected, VIA should recognize it and let you remap a key without a separate proprietary app. Once the firmware side is settled, you can add the playful look with a colorful, animal-themed keycap set, which is much easier to change later than the board itself. Hotswap also helps here, since you can try quieter or lighter switches later without soldering.