Cats are often seen as aloof creatures, but if you’re not feeling connected with your feline companion, it might be because you’re not communicating in a way they understand.
Fortunately, research suggests that bonding with your cat is simpler than you might think. The key is to smile at them—cat style.
Instead of smiling by showing teeth like humans, try narrowing your eyes and blinking slowly.
Researchers studying cat-human interactions have discovered that this gesture encourages both familiar and unfamiliar cats to engage with humans.
“As someone who has both studied animal behavior and is a cat owner, it’s great to be able to show that cats and humans can communicate in this way,” University of Sussex psychologist Karen McComb explained when the study was released in 2020.
“It’s something that many cat owners had already suspected, so it’s exciting to have found evidence for it.”
Watch the video below for a summary of the research:
Those who have spent time around cats might have noticed their ‘partially closed eyes’ facial expressions, often accompanied by slow blinking.
This expression is akin to how humans narrow their eyes when they smile and typically appears when a cat feels relaxed and content, serving as a kind of feline smile.
Cat owners have long suggested that humans can mimic this expression to signal to cats that they are friendly and open to interaction. To investigate this, psychologists conducted two experiments.
The first experiment included 21 cats from 14 households. When a cat settled in a comfortable spot at home, the owner was asked to sit about 1 meter (a little over 3 feet) away and slowly blink when the cat looked at them.
Cameras captured both the owners’ and cats’ faces, and these interactions were compared to scenarios where cats had no human interaction.
The findings indicated that cats are more likely to slow blink at their owners after receiving a slow blink from them, compared to when there is no interaction.
The second experiment involved 24 cats from eight households. This time, researchers who had no prior contact with the cats performed the blinking, while the cats’ reactions to a no-blink condition—where humans simply stared without blinking—were also recorded.
The researchers repeated the slow-blink process from the first experiment, extending a hand toward the cat as well. They observed that cats were not only more likely to blink back but also more inclined to approach the human’s hand after a slow blink.
“This study is the first to experimentally investigate the role of slow blinking in cat-human communication,” McComb stated.
“And it is something you can try yourself with your own cat at home or with cats you meet in the street. It’s a great way of enhancing the bond you have with cats.
“Try narrowing your eyes at them as you would in a relaxed smile, followed by closing your eyes for a couple of seconds. You’ll find they respond in the same way themselves, and you can start a sort of conversation.”
While dogs often show their emotions more openly, cat enthusiasts won’t be surprised by these findings. Recent studies have indicated that cats are more attuned to the humans they live with than previously thought, and comparing them to dogs can be misleading.
Cats, for instance, tend to respond positively to humans who are open towards them—so if a cat seems distant, the issue may lie with the human.
Additionally, cats often mirror the personality traits of their human companions, which could explain why they sense when their owners are feeling down.
They also recognize their names, though they may choose to ignore them, and they form surprisingly strong bonds with their humans.
Understanding why cats slow blink at humans is challenging. It might be a signal of friendly intentions, as direct staring can be perceived as threatening by cats.
Alternatively, cats might have developed this expression because humans respond positively to it. With domestic animals, motivations can be hard to pinpoint.
Nevertheless, this behavior seems to strengthen the bond between cats and humans. Improving our understanding of these interactions may enhance the emotional well-being of cats, both at home and in potentially stressful situations.
Related: Studies Reveal The Best Ways to Chemically Bond With Your Cat
“Understanding positive ways in which cats and humans interact can enhance public understanding of cats, improve feline welfare, and tell us more about the socio-cognitive abilities of this understudied species,” said psychologist Tasmin Humphrey of the University of Sussex.
“Our findings could potentially be used to assess the welfare of cats in a variety of settings, including veterinary practices and shelters.”
Are you tempted to try it out now?
The research was published in Scientific Reports.
An earlier version of this article was published in October 2020.
