this harmless mimicry, your cat interprets it as a mark of affection!

We never resist the idea of ​​petting our pets. More particularly our cats, giving them kisses or even a big smile when we see them lean against us on the sofa … It's a real pleasure! If, in our eyes, these are the most loving gestures we can offer them, there is a better way to communicate. According to a study, namedThe role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat – human communication and performed by scientists working at the universities of Portsmouth and Sussex, animal behaviors translate differently. If, for example, you see your cat slowly squinting, that's a mark of affection. Indeed, this game of looks corresponds to the smile in humans.

You might as well say that if your cat squints when looking at you, you've won! He carries you in your heart. To return the device, all you have to do is squint your eyes when you look at it, according to scientists at the University of Portsmouth and Sussex. And the icing on the cake: the more you have this reflex with your cat, the more he will feel confident with you. This very serious study which analyzes the behavior of our feline friends was published by the journal Nature October 6, 2020.

To come to such a conclusion, the researchers carried out the experiment in two stages. First, they found that the 21 cats under observation blinked more when their owners did the same. Then 24 cats were put under observation. They were faced with human beings who stretched out their hands towards them, blinking and then remaining neutral. It turns out that cats walk up to humans when humans make the effort to blink. For Karen McComb, the experience is "formidable" because it proves "that cats and humans can communicate this way. This is something that many cat owners have already suspected, and it is exciting to have been able to demonstrate it ", she explains on the University of Porthsmouth website.

Video by Clara Poudevigne