Originally published at: Study confirms what all cat owners know - Boing Boing
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cats: slow blinks
humans: slow dancing
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“squeeze eyes”!
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In my experience, our pet cat failing to return a slow blink isn’t intentionally slighting us. It is just too alert and focused on something else in its environment. Maybe there’s just too much alarming activity going on, or it hears some other cue, or it is starting to think of something else it should be doing.
Our cat almost always returns blinks when she is in a relaxed state and actually focused on us.
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I guess we all share the same basics, evolved in the same enviroment;
Stephanie Preston and Frans de Waal,[51] Jean Decety,[52][53] and Vittorio Gallese[54][55] and Christian Keysers[3] have independently argued that the mirror neuron system is involved in empathy.
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I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the oatmeal but the comic tells stories of the artist and their many cats.
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Cat’s approving slow blink = “I will kill you last”
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I’m just thinking about the ending to The Life of Pi where the tiger runs off without even giving Pi a second look. It was emotionally devastating for Pi but the cat didn’t give a damn. Probably one of the more realistic plot points in that fantastical movie, IMHO.
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I can’t remember who taught me that the way to say hello to a cat is: slow blink, look away, look back. If the cat reciprocates you’re accepted. It’s a non-aggression pact, as hostile cats stare directly.
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This is consistent with my experience.
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