Gaby
A new study by British animal psychologists has revealed that cats are more likely to approach an outstretched hand after witnessing your slow blink.
It turns out that the secret to building a friendly relationship with your pet lies in the gentle narrowing of your eyes.
During research conducted by the universities of Portsmouth and Sussex, scientists found that this technique mimics what is known as the “cat smile.” Cat owners know exactly what this means. Imitating this feline expression helps establish a connection with your cat.
“As someone who studies animal behavior and owns a cat, it’s delightful to share that cats and humans can communicate in this way,” said Professor Karen McComb from the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, who led the study.
According to her, many cat owners have suspected this method, so it was fascinating to scientifically confirm its effectiveness.
Professor McComb noted that this research is the first experimental study examining the role of slow blinking in communication between cats and humans.
Ultimately, this technique can be immediately tested on your own pets, as reported by BBC Science Focus.
How It Works
“First, you need to narrow your eyes as if you’re smiling, and then close them for a few seconds,” the scientists wrote in their report. Then, a miracle happens: the cat will do the same. This initiates a unique form of conversation.
The team conducted two experiments, the results of which were published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
The first experiment demonstrated that cats were more likely to slow blink after their owners did the same. The second experiment showed that cats were more likely to approach the experimenter’s outstretched hand after he slowly blinked (compared to when the person had a neutral facial expression).
Why do cats behave this way? Animal psychologists suggest that this slow blinking behavior may have developed because humans perceive it as a positive gesture.
Researchers noted that cats might have realized that humans reward them for responding to slow blinking. It’s also possible that slow blinking in cats evolved as a way to break prolonged eye contact, which can be potentially threatening in social interactions.
