A new study by British animal psychologists found that cats are more likely to approach an outstretched hand after they see a human perform a slow blink.
It turns out the secret to building a friendly relationship with your pet is the gentle narrowing of your eyes.
Researchers at the universities of Portsmouth and Sussex found that this technique mimics the “cat smile.” Cat owners know exactly what this means. Imitating this feline expression helps build 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.
She said many cat owners have suspected this, so it was fascinating to confirm it scientifically.
Professor McComb said this research is the first experimental study examining the role of slow blinking in communication between cats and humans.
You can test this technique on your own pets right away, BBC Science Focus reported.
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. In many cases the cat will blink back, creating a simple form of conversation.
The team conducted two experiments, and the results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The first experiment showed 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 an experimenter’s outstretched hand after the experimenter performed a slow blink than after a neutral facial expression.
Why do cats behave this way? Animal psychologists suggest slow blinking may have developed because humans perceive it as a positive gesture.
Cats might have learned that humans reward them for responding to slow blinks. It’s also possible that slow blinking evolved as a way for cats to break prolonged eye contact, which can be threatening in social interactions.
