Yhn CultureFilm first seen 20 h ago, last 8 h ago, peak #11

Cats' slow blink communicates friendliness to humans, study finds

Original: The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat–human communication (2020)

A 2020 study in Scientific Reports found that cats respond to a human's slow blink — an eye-narrowing movement — by narrowing their own eyes in return, and are more likely to approach a person after this exchange. Researchers say the expression functions similarly to a genuine smile, suggesting cats have developed a way to signal positive emotion to humans.

Why now: A four-year-old animal behaviour study is resurfacing online, drawing fresh attention to how cats communicate with people.

Scientific ReportsUniversity of SussexUniversity of Portsmouth

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• The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat–human communication (2020) · bushwart · 22

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