I always figured it was to cede victory to me in the perpetual stare down.
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our cats slow-blink at us, and i’ve long heard this is the reason. so i slow blink back at them, when i catch them doing it to me. might as well respond to them in a way they understand.
our cats also have what we’ve decided is a nervous tic – whenever you catch their eye when they are not necessarily expecting it, they will both quickly lick their nose. i find it adorable.
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I discovered the slow blink when I was a wee lad… and that it’s reciprocal. I noticed if I met my cat’s eyes, slowly closed my eyes then opened them, the cat would have closed their eyes too. “hello i am not a threat 2 u, if ur not a threat 2 me blink back k thx”
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my gf’s cat is a rescue and sleeps with its eyes open. What does that indicate?
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That cat doesn’t sleep. It just waits.
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Samara the cat
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C’mon, be honest. The real reason cat’s expose their belly? To lure you in to attempt to pet it their belly, whereupon they can sink all four sets of claws into your hand.
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ugh gawd save me from the guy who taps me in the arm pit when I’m at the computer and stands there quietly until I look down and he meows a polite greeting. its like he is saying “excuse me sir”. aaaaaargh
(thats my cat named Spot, the tuxedo’d narc frat boy of the three I have)
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Yup, that’s the reason, and we should also slow blink at them sometimes to make them more comfortable.
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It’s the old good cop, bad cop tactic.
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I don’t know… but you may not want to stick around to find out the hard way. 
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I have detached earlobes, and our family cat when I was a teen used to nurse on them like a kitten.
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Mine did the armpit thing, but no padding. I think she just like the saltiness of my 'pit sweat.
(TMI, I know, in my defense I was freelancing from home at the time, personal hygiene was, ahem, secondary)
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1: The original story is at Inverse; the BB link is to a third-party repost.
2: What’s that image credit?
Image: Jumpstory / CC0
‘Jumpstory’ is a StackSocial (provider of the BB Store…) stock photography subscription scheme (not scam; I didn’t say scam) offering “Unlimited Access to 25 Million+ Professional Visuals”.
‘CC0’ indicates the image is in the public domain. So Jumpstory has no claim over it?
It’s a sign of acknowledgement. Think of it as a mix of them greating you and accepting your presence.
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You mean you like, keep them in your pocket? 
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He just wants your money
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Exactly. I’ve heard the slow blink called a “cat kiss.”
Desmond Morris published a couple books, Catwatching was one, that describe the reasons behind a bunch of cat behavior. Reading them has made living with cats even more enjoyable than it was previously.
One example: tail swishing is often a sign that the cat is trying to make a decision. So when I’m petting a kitty and the tail starts swishing I assume it’s deciding, “do I like this or should I draw blood?” I proceed with caution.
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One of my cats is an earlobe sucker. She did it as a kitten and never grew out of it. It’s cute, but the slobber can leave a real mess on my shirt.
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