4 ms·

I think the cat's slow blink is functionally related to a human smile, which when truly felt, also causes the eyes to close and then open slowly. I've noticed

I think the cat's slow blink is functionally related to a human smile, which when truly felt, also causes the eyes to close and then open slowly. I've noticed that my two Siamese cats often combine the slow blink with either a bowing of the head or lifting of the chin. They also very often yawn while making eye contact when my wife or I enter the room.

KineticLensman 3y ago
Not a cat person, but I've worked with raptors. Staring at them tends to mean "I intend to eat / fight you". I understand this to be true of lots of mammals as well (e.g. you should avoid making eye contact with wild bears that you encounter). I can therefore interpret the slow blink as 'defusing' the aggressiveness / threat of a direct stare.