The cat slow blink is just one of the more subtle ways your kitty says, "I love you," and it's a gesture that you can return. "Cat returns your blink" made it onto Best Friends Animal Society's list of relaxed or curious body language cues.
Squinted or half-closed eyes are a sign of affection, relaxation and trust. If a cat looks like they're about to fall asleep, they're relaxed and they trust you. Also, they're probably about to fall asleep.
To cats, slow blinking is a form of smiling, and solicits happy, positive emotions. The researchers found that a cat will respond to a human's slow blink with a slow blink of their own, and is more likely to approach an unfamiliar person who is slow blinking at them. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The cat slow blink is just one of the more subtle ways your kitty says, "I love you," and it's a gesture that you can return. "Cat returns your blink" made it onto Best Friends Animal Society's list of relaxed or curious body language cues.
Slow-blinking isn't just for cats: You can show love and affection by slow-blinking back. According to the study, cats are more likely to approach an unfamiliar person who slow-blinks at them than someone who keeps a neutral face.
As well as being a method of communication, staring is also a sign of a close bond between you and your cat, as they are unlikely to hold eye contact with someone they don't like or trust.
Your Cat Stares at You to Show Affection
And when a loving stare is coupled with cat "eye kisses," which is when a cat stares with half-closed eyelids and offers a few slow blinks, it means your kitty is showing some serious adoration for you.
Direct eye contact
Cats can find direct eye contact quite threatening. They wouldn't look another cat straight in the face unless they were fixing for a fight. When your cat's relaxed, they might look at you with a peaceful gaze or half closed eyes. A “slow blink” is your cat's way of saying they love you.
People who are not a fan of cats tend to look away or give no eye contact to them. Cats find this non threatening. On the other hand, cat lovers love looking directly into their eyes, causing them to feel intimidated or threatened. When cats are in rivalry, they initially try to out-stare each other.
When a cat starts to show interest, the eyes look more directly with an unblinking stare at the object, person, or animal of interest, and the pupils dilate slightly.
They do not even recognize their owners by sight, which has led to their erroneous reputation as a species that is aloof. Cats cannot distinguish their owners by staring at them because their faces appear identical when they are at rest. Instead, cats distinguish between humans using sound and smell.
One of the most plausible and sweetest reasons why your cat “follows” you even into the bathroom is that he loves you. The cat wants to take advantage of every second of your presence and every possible opportunity to spend time with you! He adores you so much that he will follow you everywhere in the house.
PetMD also points out that cats are territorial creatures. They claim their turf by marking it with their scent. So when they sleep on top of you, they're actually marking you—and your bed—as theirs. We should be flattered by this behavior, apparently.
This is the feline equivalent of showing you affection and their way of saying “I see you; I feel safe and relaxed around you.” How cute is that?
Cats are often stereotyped as standoffish and aloof, even to the people who love them most, but the truth is that cats can be just as protective of their people as dogs are of theirs. Put simply, cats love their family and their family loves them right back.
The scent is mainly used for bonding as well as socialising, but if you notice your cat headbutt you, then turn their head to their side or tuck it down, it's likely that they're looking for attention. A cat headbutt is a great sign, it shows that your cat trusts you enough to be up close and personal with you.
Cats release friendly pheromones from glands in their cheeks and chin, so when your favorite feline is rubbing its face on you, it usually means they are marking you as a friend. “It's an affectionate gesture that can also be used as a form of greeting,” Dr. Jill E.
So when cats look at each other, blink and look away, they are conveying the message that they are not “threatening” the other cat. When a cat interacts with people and the cat is not threatened by the person, she may look at the person and then perform this same “slow blink.” She then may look away or she may not.
The head bump. It's their way of saying hello, by using the oil glands in front of their ears to greet you as if you're a cat and leave their scent on you. They see you as one of their clan, so bump them right back.
Do Cats Like Hugs? The truth is, many cats HATE to be hugged. They don't like being held against their will, and especially not in a firm fashion. If you've witnessed the average cat being hugged, you've probably seen squirming, meowing, panting, and eventually, claws.
The strange part of all of this is that cats actually view people as fellow cats. Some researchers believe cats look at us as big, slow, clumsy, uncoordinated cats, but others say they're not quite so judgemental. The good thing is, whether or not they're judging our balance and agility, they still love us!