Cats instinctively avoid eye contact, because in the feline world, direct eye contact is a challenge. A cat backs down from a challenge by averting his gaze, and possibly, turning his back. However, cats also do make direct eye contact with us, and with each other under certain circumstances. Cats’ eyes can tell us many different things.
The size of his pupils are clues to his mood
One way you can read your cat’s mood through his eyes is the size of his pupils. Dr. Nicholas Dodman, at Petplace.com, says that when your cat’s pupils are small slits, it means he’s relaxed, and bordering on vegetative, or dozing. Large pupils in broad daylight, on the other hand, signal agitation. He’s getting ready to fight or run away (although you’ll see your cat’s eyes dilate a lot when he’s playing, too). Dilated pupils can also mean that your cat is in pain.
A slow blink while maintaining eye contact is a special type of communication
Possibly one of the most significant forms of eye contact with cats is the slow blink. You’ve seen your cat do it, though you may not have known what it was. Your cat looks you directly in the eye, and slowly squints hiw eyes shut, and then slowly opens them again and meets your gaze. Some behaviorists call this the “love blink.” Others call it a “kitty kiss.”
According to Pets Adviser, in the wild, the slow blink is a signal to other cats that everything is cool. It’s how cats signal that they’re not threats to each other, so there’s no need for fighting. When your cat does this with you, he’s signaling his happiness and contentment with you.
You can communicate with your cat using eye contact, too. Next time your cat slow blinks at you, try giving him a slow blink back. Close your eyes slowly, and scrunch up your face just a little. Then slowly open them again, and see how he reacts. You might just get a kitty kiss back!
