Alejandro Alcolea
WriterWriter at Xataka. I studied education and music, but since 2014 I've been writing about my passion: video games and technology. I specialize in product analysis, photography, and video. My body is 70% coffee.
Communication between humans and dogs is quite straightforward. After thousands of years of domestication and living together, dogs and humans have developed a mutual understanding that feels effortless. In fact, dogs have evolved their facial muscles and eye expressions to communicate more effectively with humans. Cats, however, are a whole different story.
Despite being fully integrated into our homes, the domestication of cats is still a subject of research. Misunderstandings between cats and humans are common. If you own a cat, you may have learned to interpret its signals and intentions, but that intense gaze can sometimes be quite perplexing.
If you’re a cat owner, you’ve probably realized that when you blink slowly at your pet, it tends to mimic this behavior, creating a special bond. A recent study has unveiled the possible reason why: Slow blinking for cats is similar to a human smile.
The Cat Smile
A 2020 study titled The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat-human communication examined how this common feline gesture serves as a method of interspecies communication. If you own a cat, you may be familiar with the moment when your feline friend stares at you. Then, it slowly blinks, almost as if it’s about to fall asleep, before fully opening its eyes again.
This behavior isn’t necessarily a sign of drowsiness (though it can be), but rather an attempt to communicate with you. “It’s something that many cat owners had already suspected, so it’s exciting to have found evidence for it,” Karen McComb, a psychologist at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, said in a 2020 statement.
To gather this evidence, the research team conducted two experiments.
The first experiment involved 21 cats (11 females and 10 males, ranging in age from four months to 16 years) from 14 different households. The owners of these cats (14 participants) were instructed to sit three feet away after their cat had eaten in its familiar environment. They were also told to blink slowly when the cat stared at them.
The second experiment involved 24 additional cats from eight different households. This experiment had two key differences. First, the owners didn’t perform the blinking: It was done by researchers instead. Second, after blinking, researchers reached out to the cats.
The team recorded and analyzed the tests, and concluded that cats blink slowly in response to a human’s initial blink. Moreover, when researchers blinked, the cats tended to approach them for hand interaction afterward. If the cats didn’t blink first, they were less likely to approach in a friendly manner.
The recordings also revealed that cats don’t blink the same way when they’re alone or with other cats compared to when they’re with a human who has blinked slowly first. McComb pointed out that cat owners can try this with their pet at home, saying, “It’s a great way of enhancing the bond you have with cats.” But why is that?
Researchers suggest three reasons.
First, it relates to survival. A fixed gaze is often a sign of alertness. When a cat perceives someone staring without blinking or blinking rapidly, it might interpret that as a potential threat. In contrast, a slow blink signals relaxation, allowing the cat to lower its guard. It’s equivalent to a friendly smile.
Second, researchers believe that this behavior could be a form of mimicry. Cats often imitate their owners and exhibit behaviors that humans find amusing. However, this is likely an attempt to replicate human movements and actions. The complexity of domesticated cats means owners can never be entirely certain of their motivations. Rather, it’s possible they’ve developed this gesture because humans respond positively to it.
Lastly, cats may have refined this technique to break an intense, penetrating, and potentially threatening stare. They might effectively diffuse an uncomfortable situation by slowly blinking and receiving a similar response.
In the end, researchers suggest that exploring cats’ sociocognitive abilities is intriguing whether or not we believe in them. Engaging with your cats has tangible implications beyond simple playtime or petting.
Understanding that cats feel more at ease in environments where they perceive humans as non-threatening can help experts work more effectively with them in shelters or veterinary settings. Of course, much depends on each cat’s personality.
On a personal note, I’ve been trying to connect with my three cats for years. None of them ever seemed to pay attention to me. However, the moment I open a can of food, they communicate perfectly!
Image | Kate Stone Matheson
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