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Comments (57)

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  paimapi
  sticking a finger out for them to sniff and rub against is another good one. hypothesis is that it's not dissimilar from the way cats bump noses and rub their scent off on each otherI also like making myself small and crouching and being as still as possible. I've befriended many skittish feline this wayI really like cats :)
• hanumseous
  Cats are awesome, cute, and a stress relief for me. Im still doesn't have enough time playing with my cats, sad, but it's okay, cause i need job to feed em. lol And slowly blinking at them is a pure emotional way to communicate, i feel it, relaxed, and it's a heart warming when they response with a slow blink too. loved them so much.
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  justnoice
  My apartment bans all pets. The agent even told me I can't keep fish. I really wish I could fall asleep next to a cat. Their purring is absolutely mesmerizing.
• hualapais
  Just experienced this with one of the reclining mountain lions at the San Diego Zoo; the same two short blinks followed by an extended slow blink in response to my own. There were others nearby but we alone seemed to be “sharing that moment”.
• Aboutplants
  Having grown up with cats (and other animals), I learned this as a young kid.Another big thing is head movement. You can indicate submission, aggression, relaxed, etc by the way you direct your head and eyes. You can also do this with other animals, I can get deer in my backyard to respond back and forth with me with head bobs and movements as I mimic the way they interact.
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  totetsu
  Growing up with cats I feel like I just learned this naturally.
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  AnotherGoodName
  Another cat one is that i’m pretty about is that sitting or sleeping in another's usual spot is in no way a sign of dominance.My cats do this to each other and it’s clearly taken as an invitation for affection by the other cat. They’ll sit in my chair and be happy when i gently wiggle in with them too.It leads to a lot of stolen dog beds due to the interspecies communication barrier but i’m absolutely convinced it’s not the assholery it’s perceived to be. Merely a miscommunication.
• buildsjets
  Now a double-blind scientific study must be performed to evaluate the effectiveness of pspsps.
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  INTPenis
  Most animals show relaxation and stress through the eyes.I use the same trick for dogs, I narrow my eyes slightly to show that I'm not staring at them wildly. Even if they just stare back.Staring is a stress reaction, you're 100% focused on a potential threat.
• at_a_remove
  I sometimes am asked to explain the behavior of friends’ pets, as I often on the end of joshing about me being a Disney princess, since folks’ animals get glued to me.A cat of three years residence, the mother was frustrated that only her son was tolerated by the skittish animal. No lap, no pets, just distance. They went out of town for a few days so I was to cat-sit. First night, I sent a picture of the cat in bed with me, not quite touching.I had done some experiments and the cat just did not like eye contact at all. Additionally, she prefers to be at fingertip distance, if one stretches. I sat in the bed, next to and facing the wall. Ten minutes of headboard staring in, the cat is parked about six inches behind me.Full Raiders of the Lost Ark mode. After my suggestions, the cat was less distant. Now, when I visit, I put my jacket on the couch about three feet off. Poof, a cat appears on my jacket. I do not acknowledge. Sometimes my hand dangles near the floor and I get a brush-by. That is what she is comfortable with. You have to take them as they come.All cats are neurotic; each cat is neurotic in its own peculiar way.
• sabinef
  "SubjectsIn total 24 cats were recruited from local online advertisements."Was there an AMA (ask-me-anything) by one of these 24?
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  realo
  A dog will show you happy attention by wagging its tail, going all over you happily , roll around and be excited.A cat? Slow eye blink.(it's funny, laugh!)
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  ChristmasTomer
  Anyone tried this with a stray cat? Wonder if it works before they get used to people.
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  glerk
  This is common knowledge among cat owners. Slow blink is the closest signal to "I love you".> I trust you so much I choose to momentarily close my eyes in your presence. I know you won't rip me apart with your claws, although you have the capacity to do so as a predator.
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  avadodin
  I didn't realize they kept their eyes half open, though. Will try that next time I meet a cat.
• anon
  undefined
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  yesitcan
  My car slow-blinks me while mauling my arm. What does that mean?
• BurnGpuBurn
  Ooh now I miss my kitty
• soltanov
  [flagged]