Are you a cat lover or do you even have one at home? I must admit that I’m more part of the dog team, but studies that have been conducted have discovered that human-cat communication exists, as explained by Karen McComb, a psychologist at the University of Sussex. How? By learning to make the feline smile. The study carried out had two phases. In both, it was demonstrated that there is the possibility of creating a human-animal bond through a slow blink.
It cannot be determined why cats blink slowly at humans this way, but it has been interpreted as a sign of feline well-being. Learning to improve relationships with these animals can even help enhance emotional health. As Tasmin Humphrey, a psychologist at the University of Sussex, explains, this type of interaction between cats and humans is important for improving feline well-being and for getting to know a little more about the abilities of this species.
Communication between humans and cats
A study published in Scientific Reports has revealed that there is a possibility of establishing a ‘communication’ between humans and cats. According to Karen McComb, a psychologist at the University of Sussex, ‘As someone who has studied animal behavior and owns a cat, it’s great to be able to show that cats and humans can communicate in this way.’ How is this communication possible? According to the researchers, we just have to smile at them cat-style: narrowing our eyes and blinking slowly. ‘It’s something that many cat owners have already suspected, so it’s exciting to have found evidence for it,’ McComb stated.
Experiments
The study consisted of 2 phases. In the first experiment, the sample was made up of 21 cats from 14 different households. After creating a comfortable environment in their home, the owners had to sit 1 meter away and blink slowly when the cat looked at them. The results showed that cats were more likely to reduce their blinking if their owners blinked slowly at them, compared to when there was no blinking. The second experiment involved a sample of 24 cats from 8 different places, and the same procedure was repeated, but this time the humans were the researchers themselves, not the owners.
“This study is the first to experimentally investigate the role of slow blinking in cat-human communication,” McComb said. He added, “And it’s something you can try yourself with your own cat at home or with cats you know on the street. It’s a great way to enhance the bond you have with cats. Try squinting your eyes at them as you would with a relaxed smile, followed by closing your eyes for a couple of seconds. You’ll see that they respond in the same way, and you can start a kind of conversation”.
Human-animal bond
This study has also shown that cats respond to humans who are receptive to them, so if a cat is ignoring you, the problem is probably yours. According to psychologist Tasmin Humphrey from the University of Sussex, “Understanding the positive ways in which cats and humans interact can improve public understanding of cats, improve feline welfare, and tell us more about the socio-cognitive abilities of this understudied species”.
Furthermore, learning to improve relationships with animals (not just with cats) can be a way to enhance emotional health, and another way to learn to control emotions both inside and outside the home. It is very difficult to determine and draw conclusions with domestic animals, as there are many factors involved. However, the interpretation of this blinking does relate to benign intentions from the felines.
