Cat blinking is a form of feline body language that can tell you a lot about a pet's relationship with a person. Cats and humans are not able to communicate verbally, but they can interact in different ways. Tail position, body posture, ear position, and vocalization (purring and cat meowing) are some examples of how your cat communicates with you.Many people don't know that when cats blink, they may also be trying to say something. Find out what science has already discovered about the communication behind cats blinking their eyes.

What is the blinking cat trying to communicate?

Blinking has several biological functions, such as maintaining the lubrication of the eye. But did you know that this behavior also plays an important role in communication? You may have heard of doctors encouraging patients who cannot speak for some reason to blink to communicate. In the case of kittens, blinking also has the function of assisting in language.

If you've ever noticed your cat slowly blinking at you, know that this is a great sign! A study published in the journal Scientific Reports has proven that when your cat blinks, it is actually smiling at you. The cat's movement of narrowing its eyes is similar to what we do when we smile, by closing our eyes a little. According to the study, the cat blinks in a wayslow when you feel comfortable and relaxed in a situation. In other words: if you see your cat with this expression, you can be sure that he loves and trusts you.

Imitating the cat by blinking is a way to communicate with your kitty

We already know that when cats blink slowly, they are smiling at us. But feline language gets even more interesting: imitating cat behaviour increases the interaction between the animal and its guardian. To carry out the study, the psychologists involved conducted two experiments. The first involved 21 cats from 14 different families. The guardians sat one metre away from each otherof their animals and had to blink slowly when the cats looked at them.

The researchers filmed the cat and the human, then compared the way the cats blinked in the presence of the guardian and when they were alone. The result proved that felines are more likely to blink slowly after humans make the same movement to them. It is as if the cats blinking back are "responding" to the person. Sometimes the cat blinks one eye and at other times it blinks one eye onlyEither way, the chance of him winking back at you is pretty high.

Cats blink to communicate not only with their owners, but also with strangers

The second experiment carried out by the researchers proved yet another curious fact. This test was done with 24 cats from 8 different families. This time, however, it was the researchers who blinked at the cats, not the guardians. They had no interaction with the animals before the study, so they were total strangers. The process was exactly the same: the human at a distance ofone meter from the animal blinked slowly at it. In this case, in addition to blinking, the person also had to reach out towards the cat.

The result proved once again that cats are more likely to blink slowly after a person makes this movement to them. But this time, it was proven that this behavior happens even if the interaction is with someone unknown. Best of all, it was also found that cats are also more likely to approach the person's hand if they have blinked slowlySo we can say that not only do cats blink to communicate, but we can also communicate with them in this way.

When the cat blinks slowly at the guardian, it is showing love and trust

Many people think that cats are more distant animals and that they are not very attached to their guardian. This idea exists because the way cats show love is different from dogs, who are usually lively, jump on their owner and have a party. But believe me: felines show affection, even if it is with more subtle attitudes. The simple movement of the cat winking slowlyA kitten's love for you is not only a sign of love, but also of trust. They feel at ease with you and show it with a particular way of smiling.

There are also other behaviors that help you understand if your cat loves you. If your cat brings you treats, head-butts, kneads bread, licks and purrs when he is by your side, you can be sure that he is showing signs that he loves you!