We’ve previously discussed how cats enjoy it when their owners use baby talk and the various noises and gestures that feline friends use to show affection. But what about speaking their love language?
Experts say that when cats slow-blink at you, it’s a sign of adoration. So, should you slow-blink back at them? Will they understand?
John Bradshaw, a cat-behavior expert at the University of Bristol and author of Cat Sense, told National Geographic that “cats behave toward us in a way that’s indistinguishable from [how] they would act toward other cats.” Unlike dogs, which often change their behavior around humans, cats seem to treat us like their feline peers. Therefore, returning their signs of affection in the same manner can be soothing for them.
A 2020 study published in Scientific Reports found that “cats had a higher propensity to approach the experimenter after a slow blink interaction than when they had adopted a neutral expression.” The researchers concluded that “slow blink sequences may function as a form of positive emotional communication between cats and humans.”
Experts believe that just as cats meow primarily to communicate with humans, they may have developed the slow-blink behavior to please us. Dr. Tasmin Humphrey, the first author of the Scientific Reports study, suggests that “cats developed the slow blink behaviors because humans perceived slow blinking as positive.” She added that “cats may have learned that humans reward them for responding to slow blinking.”
Additionally, slow blinking might have originated as a way for cats to interrupt an unbroken stare, which can be seen as threatening in social interactions.
So next time your cat slow-blinks at you, try doing it back. It’s a simple yet effective way to show your feline friend that you love them too.
