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Why Cats Blink
Cats send all sorts of nonverbal signals, both to each
other and to us humans. One of those signals is a blink.
If you own a cat and haven't ever noticed it blinking
at you, keep an eye out. It usually happens just as
the cat enters a room where you are sitting. It will
notice you from a small distance, stop, blink both
eyes once or several times, and then approach. Once
you are on the lookout for it, the blink is quite noticeable.
It's slower than a human blink and looks, well, intentional.
What is your cat trying to tell you? A blinking cat
is a happy cat. Blinking in cats is a signal that they
recognize the presence of another cat in their vicinity
but they are not going to fight it. It's not like they're
having problems with a faulty contact
lens. A blink
sends the message: "You
are my friend. I am not angry. I am not threatened,
or
threatening."
This kind of message is very important in the wild,
where cats battle for territory. Run across a neighboring
cat and you'd better make your intentions clear, or
you may find yourself in a fight. The blink serves
to say: all's well here.
If you don't feel silly doing it, try blinking at your
cat, perhaps while stroking it. Sometimes our facial
gestures can trigger a response in them. The two of
you can have a mutual friendship moment, sending "I'm
okay -- you're okay" messages back and forth.
So, why do cats blink at us, when we aren't cats and
don't understand such feline messages? Well -- do you
ever speak to your cat? |
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The Infinite Cat Project
Presented by Mike Stanfill, Private Hand
Illustration,
Flash Animation,
Web Design
www.privatehand.com
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