Is Your Cat Trying to Tell You Something?

There might be more to their eyes than what you think.

We all know that cats can be very expressive however sometimes we can mistake their behaviour for something else entirely. For example, just because a dog is wagging its tail from excitement, the same does not go for cats. It actually means irritation and aggression. So in this blog, I'm going to touch on particularly how cats eyes can tell us how they are feeling.

Winking:

What does it mean when your cat winks at you? Well, it's similar to a 'cat kiss'. A slow wink or blink is a compliment, it's a sign they trust you and it's a non threat signal. They use this with both humans and cats to tell you they are comfortable around you and you can slow blink back at them to say the same.

Following on from that, relaxed body with open eyes means they trust you. Submissive body language is a tell tale sign of their comfortability, but a little tip, if they are showing their belly to you, don't take that as an invitation to rub it, chances are they won't like it very much.

Dilated Pupils

This usually indicates a strong emotion like arousal, fear, anger, and excitement. You may see this in your cat during a visit to the vet or with loud noises as it's a sudden reaction to their environment. It's best to leave them be at these times, even if they are just excited, that can easily change with cats if you cross a boundary.

The Death Stare:

So the death stare is the unblinking, fixated stare. This is a sign of their dominance, control or even aggression. This is useful to cat in a multi-cat home, as just this stare alone can send a signal to other cats not to come near them, especially where there are paths leading to important resources such as food, litter boxes, or other special territory that they want to protect.

Slit Eyes:

Undoubtedly, this is a sign of fear or aggression. Not only do they look more fierce but they have a better chance at protecting their eyes from the claws of another cat that they may be in a fight with. I would recommend not locking eyes with the cat at this point in time, as they may see you as their opponent and could attack.