What does it mean when a cat slowly blinks at you?
Key takeaways
- A slow blink is a cat's friendly signal: a series of half-blinks ending in narrowed eyes or a full eye closure.
- In the 2020 Sussex study, cats slow-blinked back more at blinking owners and approached a stranger's hand after slow blinks.
- You can slow-blink back at your cat to build rapport, and see a vet if blinking comes with squinting or discharge.
A gray and white cat with its eyes half closed, mid slow blink. Photograph: Antonino Taverna
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
What does it mean when a cat slowly blinks at you? In most cases it means the cat feels calm and safe around you. Researchers who studied the behavior describe it as a friendly signal, sometimes called a cat smile.
The slow blink is not a single sleepy blink. In the research it is defined as a sequence: a series of half-blinks, where the eyelids move toward each other without fully closing, followed by either a long narrowing of the eye or a full eye closure.
This article explains what a cat's slow blink is, what the 2020 University of Sussex research found, how to slow-blink back at your cat, and when slow blinking means something else.
What slow blinking is
The key difference between a slow blink and a stare is in the eyes. A fixed, wide-eyed stare is confrontational in cat body language. The 2020 researchers found during pilot trials that cats may see direct, unbroken eye contact from humans as threatening.
A slow blink is the opposite gesture. The eyelids drift toward each other in a series of half-blinks, then the eyes narrow or close fully for a moment before opening again. It is slow, deliberate, and relaxed.
Scientists had long suspected the gesture was meaningful. The authors of the 2020 paper note that stories and personal observations suggest the slow blink sequence happens in calm, positive moments between cats and their owners. They also point out that eye narrowing shows up in positive emotional displays in other species, from horses being stroked to the human Duchenne smile. That is the big, eye-crinkling smile people make when they are truly happy.
It helps to read the blink together with the rest of the cat. A slow blink paired with a loose body, upright tail, or purring is a strong sign of a content cat. The blink on its own is still a good sign, but body language gives the full picture.
What it means when a cat slowly blinks at you, per the 2020 study
Until recently, nobody had tested the slow blink scientifically. That changed with "The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat-human communication." The paper was written by Tasmin Humphrey, Leanne Proops, Jemma Forman, Rebecca Spooner, and Karen McComb, and published in Scientific Reports in October 2020.
The team ran two experiments. In the first, 21 cats from 14 households took part. Their owners were trained to slow-blink at them in trials of up to two minutes. Three cat-owner pairs were excluded as statistical outliers, leaving 18 pairs in the final analysis. The cats produced clearly more half-blinks and eye narrowing in response to their owners' slow blinks than during a control with no interaction.
The second experiment used 24 cats from 8 households and a twist: the person slow-blinking was a stranger the cat had never met. After either slow-blinking at the cat or holding a neutral face, the experimenter offered an outstretched hand. Cats were more likely to approach the hand after a slow blink interaction than after the neutral face. Six cats were excluded as outliers, leaving 18 in the final analysis.
Lead researcher Karen McComb said the work was "the first to experimentally investigate the role of slow blinking in cat-human communication," according to PA News reporting. First author Tasmin Humphrey suggested a possible origin for the behavior, saying in a statement reported by Firstpost: "Cats may have learned that humans reward them for responding to slow blinking."
The paper's own conclusion is careful but positive. Together, the results suggest that slow blink sequences may act as a form of positive emotional communication between cats and humans.
Follow-up research supports the friendly reading. A 2020 study in the journal Animals, again involving Humphrey and McComb with 18 shelter cats, found that cats which made longer eye closures in response to human slow blinks were rehomed faster. Nervous cats that needed help getting used to humans also tended to spend more time slow-blinking back at people.
How to slow-blink back at your cat
The researchers say you can try the technique yourself, at home or with cats you meet elsewhere. Here is the sequence that worked in the experiments.
- Wait until the cat is calm and making eye contact with you. Do not force the moment.
- Narrow your eyes the way you would in a relaxed smile.
- Close your eyes for a couple of seconds.
- Open them and watch. Many cats answer with a slow blink of their own.
Do not stare the cat down first. Remember that unbroken direct eye contact can read as threatening to cats, so the whole point is to soften your gaze. The blink works as a greeting ritual for cats you have just met, too. That makes it useful when introducing a new cat to your home or meeting a friend's pet.
One realistic note: it will not work every single time. In the experiments, owners averaged about 14.58 slow-blink stimulus movements per minute across trials that averaged 62.75 seconds, so repetition is part of the ritual. If your cat looks away, try again later. Like kneading, it is a comfort behavior, not an obedience trick.
When slow blinking means something else
Not every half-closed eye is a message of affection. Context decides what you are looking at.
A cat drifting toward sleep will blink slowly as it relaxes, and that is simply drowsiness, not communication. A cat that squints with one eye only, paws at its face, or has watery or gummy discharge is showing something different. That calls for a vet visit rather than a blink back.
Changes in blinking habits are also worth noticing. A cat that suddenly squints in bright light, holds one eye shut, or blinks far more than usual may have an eye irritation or injury. Only a vet can tell the difference between a comfort blink and a pain response, so do not try to diagnose eye problems yourself.
The safest rule is simple: slow blinks at you during calm moments mean trust, while slow blinking paired with any sign of discomfort means a checkup. When in doubt about your cat's eyes, a vet visit beats a search engine.
A close-up of a tabby cat's narrowed, half-closed eyes, the classic slow blink expression. Photograph: Wilfredor
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
Why does my cat stare at me and blink slowly?
The cat is most likely signaling that it feels safe and relaxed around you. In the 2020 Sussex experiments, cats slow-blinked back at people who slow-blinked at them first, and approached a stranger's hand more readily after a slow blink exchange.
Should I blink back at my cat?
Yes. The researchers found that cats respond to human-initiated slow blinks with slow blinks of their own, and lead researcher Karen McComb has encouraged owners to try it. Narrow your eyes in a relaxed way, close them for a couple of seconds, and see whether your cat answers.
Do cats slow blink at strangers?
They can. In the second Sussex experiment, the slow blinks came from a researcher the 24 cats had never met, and the cats still responded by blinking more and approaching the stranger's outstretched hand. A follow-up shelter study found cats that slow-blinked longer were adopted faster.
Can slow blinking mean my cat is in pain?
A slow blink during calm, relaxed moments is a comfort signal, not a pain signal. Pain usually shows differently: squinting with one eye, pawing at the face, or watery or gummy discharge. If you see those signs, or the blinking pattern changes suddenly, take the cat to a vet.
A tabby cat sitting with half-closed eyes and a relaxed posture, the body language that usually accompanies slow blinking. Photograph: Diksha
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
The bottom line
A cat's slow blink is a small, deliberate gesture that means the cat feels calm and safe with you, and two peer-reviewed studies back that reading up. The 2020 Sussex experiments showed cats answer human slow blinks with their own, and even approach strangers more readily after the exchange.
The practical next step is easy: the next time your cat looks at you, narrow your eyes the way you would in a relaxed smile, close them for a couple of seconds, and see if your cat blinks back. You may be starting a conversation.
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About the author: Rive News is a research desk covering practical explainers on pets, science, and everyday questions.
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