The slow blink as positive cat-human communication

Two experiments tested whether the narrowed-eye, slow-blink expression functions as friendly signalling between cats and people. When owners slow-blinked at their cats, the cats were more likely to slow-blink back than during a no-interaction baseline. In a second study, cats were more likely to approach an unfamiliar experimenter who had slow-blinked at them than one with a neutral face. The findings suggest the slow blink is a form of positive emotional communication that humans can use to build rapport with cats. Widely covered in popular media, the work gave owners an evidence-based way to signal goodwill to their animals.