Cat parents are surely tired of hearing that their pets are naturally indifferent to humans. But the reason may be something else: perhaps cat owners don't speak cat language correctly.
But recent research has indicated that there is not much mystery. What's more, there is a very simple trick that you can use whenever you want.
The secret of communicating with cats
Some research conducted in 2020 came to a seemingly obvious conclusion: just smile at them more often. But the little secret is that you should not smile like a human, but like a cat.
Cats “smile” in a very specific way: they show their teeth, narrow their eyes, and blink slowly. This has been confirmed in research conducted on interactions between cats and humans. Scientists concluded that this expression makes cats (both familiar and strange) come closer and become more receptive to the humans around them.
“As someone who has studied animal behavior and a cat owner, it's great to be able to show that cats and humans can communicate in this way. It's something that many cat owners have questioned, so it's exciting to find evidence of this.” He said. Karen McComb, psychologist at the University of Sussex
Anyone who lives a lot with cats knows how to recognize this expression, which usually occurs when the animal is relaxed and happy. This was discovered through experiments conducted on cats and their owners. They recorded their interactions while humans slowly stared at the animals about a meter away.
The results showed that cats were more likely to blink slowly at their humans after their humans blinked at them.
Comparison between dogs and cats
It is known that dogs tend to show their emotions more than cats. But there's something new: This research has shown that harmony between cats and their human companions is much greater than previously thought.
What's more, studies show that comparing cats to dogs is counterproductive. Each type shows their feelings in their own way. In addition, cats often reflect the personality traits of the people they live with. They can also recognize the names of their owners and form deep bonds with them.
What you don't know for sure is why cats “smile” this way. Until now, this has been interpreted as a way to indicate benign intentions, as cats' stares are thought to be linked to them trying to appear threatening. But it is also possible that this animal developed this expression after seeing humans interacting positively with it.
However, the truth is that using the cat smiley expression with your pet helps build a better relationship with them. For many people, this can be very beneficial, impacting the improvement of their mental health.
“Understanding the positive ways in which cats and humans interact could improve public understanding of cats, improve cat well-being, and tell us more about the social cognitive abilities of this yet-to-be-studied species. Our findings can be used to evaluate cat well-being. Cats in a variety of environments, including veterinary practices and shelters,” concluded psychologist Tasmin Humphrey from the University of Sussex.
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