Pets bring a lot of joy to their owners, especially over the holidays.
It can be fun to watch the reaction of a kitten when he or she is experiencing its first Christmas and the outdoor lights blink, or the Christmas tree goes up.
It can also be a bit annoying when he or she tries to climb the tree, and it tumbles to the ground.
Nevertheless, the companionship, comfort, and chuckles that pets offer always seem to outweigh their little imperfections.
Many pet owners believe that their pets can communicate with them, and now there seems to be a bit of evidence that proves they may be on to something.
Some scientists got together in 2020 to study the interactions between cats and humans, according to Science Alert.
Cats have a facial expression involving partially closed eyes and slow blinking. They typically do this when they’re content and relaxed.
It was suspected that cats will be more willing to approach and be friendly toward humans when humans narrow their eyes and blink slowly, basically mimicking what cats do.
Psychologists did two experiments to confirm their suspicions.
One experiment involved cat owners slowly blinking at their cats, and the other one involved researchers slowly blinking at the cats.
In the first experiment, when the cat owners would slow blink at their pet cat, it would slow blink back.
In the second experiment, the researchers, whom the cats didn’t know, slow blinked at the cats and extended their hand towards the cat. Not only did the cat respond, but it would also typically approach the researcher.
Here are just a few other ways that Discover Magazine suggests owners can communicate with its cat.
Besides slow blinking, training clickers will often encourage shy cats to come and play with their owners. Add to that a long stick with a toy at the end and offering a little cat treat when the cat responds, and a little impromptu game gets both owner and cat enjoying a good time together.
If an owner places a heating pad beside them where they’re sitting, a cat will often read this as an invitation to come and sit with his or her owner because cats like warm, cozy spots, especially in the winter. It is important, though, to make sure that the heating pad is safe for claws and isn’t too hot.
Cats actually have body language that can be a clue into what they are wanting to communicate. Apparently, much of this is in the tail. If it’s up in the air and looks sort of like a question mark, it’s likely interested in a bit of friendly attention. But if it’s moving slow and close to the ground, it may be communicating that it’s not a happy kitty or wants to be left alone.
Certainly, the longer cats and their owners are together, the more they will learn each other’s ways of expressing themselves, growing their lexicon between each other.
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