Your cat loves you for more than providing food. They just have a more subtle way of showing it. A recent study demonstrates that you have the ability to communicate with your cat, using a “slow blink sequence”. (1)

A team of psychologists from the Universities of Portsmouth and Sussex collaborated on this in-depth study on cat-human communication. (2) The study is the first to experimentally investigate how humans connect with their feline companions, specifically with slow blinking. (3)

While research shows domesticated animals respond to positive human emotion and facial cues, these studies often focus on dogs and farm animals. (4) Because cats can be, well, aloof at times, they aren’t the easiest species to study. The insight provided by the study is a welcome relief if you want to positively communicate with your cat.

Slow Blink Once If You Wish To Communicate With Your Cat

What is a slow blink and how does this help you communicate with your cat? Slow blink sequences involve a series of “half-blinks”, where the eye doesn’t fully close. After the half-blinks, a long squint or a relaxed closed eye follows. (1) Many reports conclude this sequence occurs in relaxed, calm, and trusting scenarios. (4) 

Researchers in the study noticed a significant difference between the control (no interaction) and humans producing the slow blink sequence. Cats responded in kind with their own slow-blink. Furthermore, cats approached the hand of an experimenter after a slow blink presentation more often than after a neutral face. (1)

The results of the study indicate your cat responds positively and possibly even trust those who produce the slow-blink sequence. Cats prefer to approach an experimenter after a slow blink, even when that person is unknown to them. (1)

More on Cat-Human Communication 

There is more to study on this subject. The research team opened a door to further look into how we connect with our felines. 

For instance, there was a significant difference in responding to slow-blinks between male and female cats. Male cats increased their rate of half-blinks more than female cats. While the slow blink sequence did increase with females, but not as strongly as with the males. (1) This aspect intrigues cat owners, who may experience similar responses from their cats. If you want to communicate effectively with your cat, it may depend a little on their sex.

It is also interesting to further study why cats approach humans following a slow-blink interaction. Is it because the behavior evokes an instinctual relaxed state? Or have cats learned this response from prior exposure, from their mother or other humans? 

Improving Our Communication with Cats

Dr. Tasmin Humphrey, one of the lead researchers from the University of Sussex, hopes this study will improve animal welfare for cats in different settings, including veterinary practices and shelters. (2) This application could help cats calm down while visiting the vet and get adopted quicker from shelters. Teaching humans the slow blink stimulus when meeting a cat for the first time may put both species at ease. Even non-cat people can benefit from practicing positive cat-human communication.

So, if you want to connect with your cat more positively, initiate the slow blink sequence. Communicate with your cat in a way they understand and feel comfortable. And reap the rewards of having your furry friend trust you a little more.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have two cats who need some slow-blinking love.