Feline Pupils

October 12, 2020 8:52 AM

The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat–human communication. (SLNature) Or How to Teach Your Dang Cat to Pay Attention to You. "One common anecdotally acknowledged yet subtle behavioural display that cats appear to direct at humans is the slow blink sequence (see also33). Slow blink sequences involve a series of half-blinks (where the eyelids move towards each other without ever fully closing the eye34) followed by either prolonged narrowing of the eye aperture or a full eye closure (see Fig. 1). Anecdotal evidence and personal observations suggest that the slow blink sequence can be used as a method of cat–owner communication, and is said to occur in calm, positive contexts."

"Interestingly, narrowing of the eyes, the main characteristic of the slow blink sequence, also features in the positive emotional displays of some other species, including the play and consummatory faces of canids37, in horses and cows during stroking38,39,40 and the human Duchenne smile41, and might therefore be a positive emotional indicator in cats."

Layperson summary here.

posted by storybored (24 comments total)

I always feel very special when I get the slow blink from Ivory. She's not a cuddly cat like Gidgette (currently sprawled out on my lap).
posted by kathrynm at 9:00 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

I volunteer at a cat shelter, and the slow blink is one of my standard introductory tactics when meeting a cat for the first time. (Eyes only, no touching!) Sometimes it works a charm and they seem more at ease. Other times they're like, "dude, I barely know you!"
posted by mykescipark at 9:02 AM on October 12, 2020 [10 favorites]

I always try to do the slow blink thing at cats, but I worry the fact that I wear glasses is totally negating my efforts and making me look like a staring madman at all times from the cat's perspective.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:22 AM on October 12, 2020 [5 favorites]

Can someone please do a study to find the blink meaning 'STFU it's 2AM'.
posted by lemonade at 9:30 AM on October 12, 2020 [28 favorites]

I pretty much just tickle 'em.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 9:32 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

Anecdotally, this seems to work. Staring at animals is often interpreted by them as a dominance challenge. With cats, the slow-blink appears to communicate a level of trust. A kitty doing this is demonstrating that it is in lower alert level and comfortable with the other cat or human.

I pride myself with being a bit of a "cat-whisperer" and I generally have great relationships with even troubled or troublesome cats. Being calm and quiet also helps. My wife (for instance) will get emotionally excited to see a cat (ours, or someone else's ) and wants to run and hug them— and even squeal sometimes when doing so. We had two cats for 17 years and they generally had a better relationship with me than with her. Cats mostly don't appreciate loud noises and lots of movement. I grew up with cats and she didn't, though. She just loves them a lot!

She's better with dogs than I am. I have a... toleration of some dogs. I'll leave it at that.

Getting low to their level helps, too. We are much, much larger than kitties and it's no wonder they can feel threatened by us large, noisy hominids! This is all unscientific and just my experience.
posted by SoberHighland at 11:22 AM on October 12, 2020 [3 favorites]

Can someone please do a study to find the blink meaning 'STFU it's 2AM'.

With my cat we worked out a détente based on mutually assured sleep destruction. If she wakes me or keeps me up at night I return the favor for her during the day. She either learned the contingency or she was so tired out she gave up her crepuscular habits.
posted by srboisvert at 11:30 AM on October 12, 2020 [7 favorites]

I'm pretty sure my cat tries to use the slow blink against me. His favorite thing to do is jump on the kitchen island, make a little chirpy noise, roll over on his side exposing his very fuzzy, very speckled belly, and slow blink at me. It's a trap every. single. time. Not even just the belly is off limits - he won't let you touch him at all but acts like he wants nothing more.
posted by misskaz at 11:42 AM on October 12, 2020 [4 favorites]

I was once babysitting a cat who, when his owners weren't home, lived on a roof across the street and only came home to grab his food and snarl. They told me he'd NEVER let me touch him. I used the slow blink on him and on day two sent them a photo of him in my lap.

:)
posted by OolooKitty at 12:09 PM on October 12, 2020 [17 favorites]

My first cat taught me this as a kid, and I’ve used it quite effectively ever since. I don’t see how you could spend a lot of time around a cat and not put this together.

Maybe if the cat hates you, but then you get different looks.

Can someone please do a study to find the blink meaning 'STFU it's 2AM'.

Try the ‘Attempted Petting While Grooming Grimace.’
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:46 PM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]

Showbiz_liz: I wear glasses, too - I think there’s hope for us. One of the research videos attached to the article shows a glasses-wearing person slow-blinking and having the cat mirror them back.
posted by FallibleHuman at 12:49 PM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

"A wink is as good as a nod, but a slow blink is . . . well it's a lot better than loudly smooching me on the goddamn most sensitive part of my body you fucking primate."
posted by aspersioncast at 1:45 PM on October 12, 2020 [3 favorites]

I wear glasses and trade slow blinks with my cat pretty often.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 1:55 PM on October 12, 2020

I presume that one reason that this works pretty well is that if you blink as quickly as you can at a cat for a period of time, it thinks that you're a goddamned maniac.

Anecdotal evidence on the bus indicates that it's much the same with humans.
posted by delfin at 2:03 PM on October 12, 2020 [3 favorites]

from 2014: Jackson Galaxy explains how he learned about cats + eye blinking and how it's their language of love.
posted by lemon_icing at 3:00 PM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]

His favorite thing to do is jump on the kitchen island, make a little chirpy noise, roll over on his side exposing his very fuzzy, very speckled belly, and slow blink at me.

It is no trap. He is behaving instinctually, not intentionally. Friendly cat behavior models that of female cats in heat. Rolling over on their backs is done mostly outdoors, rubbing up against legs indoors. He is being friendly and affectionate but that does not he wants to you to get hands on. Some cats just do not easily tolerate being touched.
posted by y2karl at 4:49 PM on October 12, 2020

another glasses-wearer raised by cats anecdotally reporting slow-blink-mediated rapport with (some, many) cats.
posted by 20 year lurk at 4:54 PM on October 12, 2020

Slow blinking definitely works on my furry friend.

He will come up to me when I am sitting down, and just sit on his haunches to the side, looking up at me. Sometimes he will jump up on my lap, sometimes not. But if I slow blink at him he will nearly always jump straight up.

I also suspect that a combination of slow blink, followed by a 'look away' (i.e. casually breaking the direct gaze) works better.

Basically anything that says 'I am not threatened by you' seems to help.
posted by Pouteria at 7:08 PM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

A kitty who was not my kitty but who became my kitty taught me this way back when I was in college. I'm glad I was a good student.
posted by bryon at 10:03 PM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]

I owned cats for 8 years before I finally gave birth (to a little human). And when I held my infant daughter in my arms for the first time...I realised I was blinking at her.

This is not a very moving "when I first beheld my child" story. Unless you're a cat, maybe.
posted by Omnomnom at 3:54 AM on October 13, 2020 [7 favorites]

Friendly cat behavior models that of female cats in heat.

And in case anyone needed a reminder of this horrific anatomical fact, the other side of that coin is barbed penises.
posted by aspersioncast at 5:50 AM on October 13, 2020

And your point is ?
posted by y2karl at 1:20 PM on October 13, 2020

And your point is ?


Just a friendly barb.
posted by Omnomnom at 1:21 PM on October 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

good work scientists. Now get started on the efficacy of pspsps
posted by um at 3:51 PM on October 14, 2020 [3 favorites]