THE ONE GESTURE THAT ACTUALLY GETS YOUR CAT’S ATTENTION

Cats have a reputation for keeping their emotional cards close to their chest. Unlike dogs, who wear their affection loudly, cats communicate in subtler ways — and it turns out humans have been missing one of their clearest signals all along: the slow blink.

What the Research Found

In 2020, psychologists at the University of Sussex ran a study — partly conducted in a cat café — looking at how cats respond when humans slow-blink at them. The idea: narrowing the eyes and blinking slowly is the feline equivalent of a relaxed, friendly smile.

The team tested this in two stages:

• With familiar cats. Twenty-one cats and their owners took part in a home setting. Cats were noticeably more likely to slow-blink back once their owner initiated the gesture.
• With strangers. In a second round, 24 cats across eight different households were tested with unfamiliar people. Not only did the cats return the slow blink to strangers, they were also more willing to approach a stranger’s outstretched hand after that exchange.

The results, published in Scientific Reports, gave solid experimental backing to something many cat owners had already suspected: this small gesture really does open a line of communication.

How to Try It Yourself

The technique itself is simple:

• Catch your cat’s eye without a hard stare (which cats read as a challenge).
• Close your eyes slowly, hold briefly, then open them again.
• Repeat if your cat seems receptive — many will blink back, essentially saying “I’m relaxed, and I’m not a threat” in cat language.

Why It’s More Than a Party Trick

Beyond the novelty, researchers point out real practical value. Vets, shelter staff, and rescue workers could use slow-blinking as a low-stress way to build trust with cats during stressful situations — checkups, intake at a shelter, or unfamiliar environments — and even as an informal read on how relaxed or anxious a cat is feeling.

It also fits into a broader picture emerging from cat-cognition research: cats are far more tuned in to their human companions than the “aloof” stereotype suggests, often picking up on our moods and even mirroring aspects of our personalities over time.

So next time your cat locks eyes with you, try offering a slow blink back. It costs nothing, and — according to the science — there’s a good chance you’ll get one in return.