Do cats blink to show love? New research shows the answer might not be what the experts tell us.
In Study 1, the researchers recruited 18 indoor/outdoor cats from 14 different owners to observe their reactions to their owners’ blinks. The study was performed at home for the comfort of the cats. The researchers trained owners to perform the slow blink sequence, “a series of half-blinks followed by either a prolonged eye narrow or an eye closure." The eye closure at the end had to be at least 0.5 seconds long.
In Study 2, the researchers sought to understand whether cats’ responses generalized to strangers , and whether slow blinking would attract cats to them. Study 2 included 18 new cats from 8 different owners and again took place in the cats' homes. To draw out approach behaviors, experimenters sat or crouched down and held out a hand to the cat. They either performed the slow blink sequence or showed a neutral expression with no eye contact.
In summary, despite the many anecdotes about kitty blinks, this study was the first to empirically demonstrate that 1) blinking is a positive form of communication for cats; and 2) blinking can make a cat approach a stranger.Source: 99mimimi / pixabay However, there is still much more to learn about that cat’s blink, or their “Duchenne smile." First, we don’t know the exact emotions associated with their blinks—is it really love?—or the exact purpose of their blinks. While laypeople claim that kitty blinks show love and trust, Humphrey et al. posit that the blinks may have a more practical origin—specifically, that they may serve as a way to interrupt a stare, which is often threatening to cats.
Humphrey et al. also point out the implications of the cat blink. Given their positive nature, kitty blinks can be used to evaluate how well cats are doing in different settings, including with veterinarians, in shelters, and in foster homes; and importantly, to enhance relationships between cats and humans.Humphrey, T., Proops, L., Forman, J., Spooner, R., & McComb, K. . The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat–human communication. Scientific Reports, 10, 1-8.
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