Know What Does It Mean When a Cat Winks at You: Whether it’s when they follow us to the bathroom or when they bring us their toys between meows, cats do not stop trying to communicate with us, their humans. And there is a feline gesture that denotes that cats love us and with which they show us their most sincere affection: a slow wink of their eyes.
What Does It Mean When a Cat Winks at You?
Feline behavior experts call this catlike behavior slow blinking, and we not only suspect that it is a kiss in a feline version or a very affectionate way of saying “I love you”.
A study published in Nature confirms that this slow blinking of a cat’s eyes implies a sign of sincere affection. Our feline is comfortable by our side, and that half-closed eyes as if he were sleeping are his way of telling us who really trusts us, his humans.
A study published in Nature confirms that this slow blinking of a cat’s eyes implies a sign of sincere affection. Our feline is comfortable by our side, and that half-closed eyes as if he were sleeping are his way of telling us who really trusts us, his humans.
In other meows, a cat’s slow blink is its affectionate way of telling us, “human, human, I love you.” An affectionate kiss in a feline version.
Cat Speaks: the Slow Blink
Think of it this way: a very direct gaze is threatening to many animals, including felines. And, as a warning in my feline behavior consultations, when someone comes because their cats don’t quite get along and they see each other as rivals: when two felines stare into each other’s eyes for, say, more than three seconds, the problems begin—even the fights.
Consequently, cats often avoid direct gazes when they are afraid or feel threatened, but when they cross the line and adopt an aggressive, offensive posture, what they do is stare into each other’s eyes, and those very direct looks are also perceived as a threat.
Thus, the slow blink is a way to maintain eye contact with us (and other friendly cats) without maintaining a fixed or challenging gaze. Therefore, if a cat narrows its eyes when we are by its side as if it were falling asleep, it is an unequivocal sign that our feline does not see us as a threat, but quite the opposite: someone he loves, and in the who trusts
Practice slow blinking. If you do it right, your cat will respond to you!
We already know: in feline language, when a cat blinks slowly, or very slowly, it is a sign that it is relaxed and calm. A way for our purring comrade to tell us that he can afford to be vulnerable by our side, that he has stopped guarding his territory because he doesn’t need to be on the alert.
The behavior is similar to the beautiful posture of the feline somersault or cat croquette that our cat exhibits when he is happy to see us: he lies down on his belly while showing us his belly; a sign of trust towards us, of love towards his favorite humans.
Similarly, if the slow blinking occurs when we are with our meowing partner, we interpret this behavior as a sign that he is relaxed and happy with us. And, no doubt, many of us call this love.
What’s more: if we want to know if our cat or our kitten is happy and relaxed: let’s try the slow blink! When we are calm with them, let’s try to look at them softly, and let’s try to narrow our eyes little by little, as slow and slow as we can.
It is worth practicing: if we are lucky, and we do it well, our cat or kitten will return this beautiful feline kiss. Now, if our feline does not blink back at us, it does not mean that he does not love us or that he is angry; just that he has other ways of expressing his affection and telling us that he loves us.
Forget Staring Wars With the Cat
And, quite the opposite: as we have learned, we should not stare into the eyes of our felines. So let’s forget about having “staring wars” with our cats; as much as they seem harmless to us, even funny, our cats don’t agree so much. And they can feel uncomfortable. There is more: a few days ago, we told you four other things that your cat would prefer you stop doing.
This doesn’t mean we can’t look cats in the eye, but they do prefer that, when we do it, we put on a soft, relaxed look and that we blink frequently. Or, better yet, give them a slow blink.
Why you shouldn’t look your cat in the eye
On the contrary, you can avoid certain situations if you want your michi to feel comfortable with you. One of them is to stare him in the eye for too long since he can take it as a challenge.
Avoid looking your cat straight in the eye. Otherwise, he will move away from you and become aggressive since this gesture is a challenge for them.
In fact, cats tend to avoid direct eye contact with each other; as with many other animals, this can be interpreted as a generic sign of defiance for a variety of reasons.
The cat is a strongly territorial animal, and the fact of showing this attitude causes it to be nervous and alarmed because it feels threatened. This cat attitude is solely and exclusively to avoid conflicts.
Don’t forget that cats often squint or look away, and they do so, according to experts, to demonstrate peaceful motivations for their attitude.
This cat posture does not exempt humans from contemplating the beauty of their cats. But to do it without taking risks, it is best to close your eyes from time to time or look away so that the cat feels that you are doing the same thing as him.
Finally, although unlikely, cat owners should check that their kitty is not winking or closing its eyes due to itching or pain. The cat’s gaze should be lively and bright; Before any change, you have to go to the vet.
Why Is My Cat Belly Up?
But cats can do much more than a wink. Another typical feline behavior that denotes trust towards its owner is to turn on its belly with the intention of being pampered by its owner.
In that case, the feline is telling his human that he gives him permission to rub his tummy. If your kitty is one of those, you must know where and how to pet a cat so that he feels in glory.
Why You Shouldn’t Look Your Cat in the Eye
On the contrary, you can avoid certain situations if you want your michi to feel comfortable with you. One of them is to stare him in the eye for too long since he can take it as a challenge.
Avoid looking your cat straight in the eye. Otherwise, he will move away from you and become aggressive since that gesture is a challenge for them.
In fact, cats tend to avoid direct eye contact with each other; as with many other animals, this can be interpreted as a generic sign of defiance for a variety of reasons.
The cat is a strongly territorial animal, and the fact of showing this attitude causes it to be nervous and alarmed because it feels threatened. This cat attitude is solely and exclusively to avoid conflicts.
Don’t forget that cats often squint or look away, and they do so, according to experts, to demonstrate peaceful motivations for their attitude.
This cat posture does not exempt humans from contemplating the beauty of their cats. But to do it without taking risks, it is best to close your eyes from time to time or look away so that the cat feels that you are doing the same thing as him.
Finally, although unlikely, cat owners should check that their kitty is not winking or closing its eyes due to itching or pain. The cat’s gaze should be lively and bright; Before any change, you have to go to the vet.
Your Opinions on Cats Winking at Humans?
Why do you think cats wink at humans?
Which of the explanations I listed do you think is most likely to be true? Which do you think are less likely?
Have you had experiences with cats winking?
Why do you think the cats you knew winked at you? Did they all wink for the same reason, in your opinion, or for different reasons?
I’d love to read your thoughts, stories, and experiences on the subject of cat winking meaning in the comments below!