Have you ever wondered why cats tend to stare at us for a longer period of time? If you’re a cat owner, you’ll most definitely relate to the feeling of being watched by your feline friend. It definitely makes you wonder what’s going through their mind, but since they can’t really explain it themselves, that leaves it up to humans to try and figure out why they’re staring at us.

What would be going on behind that innocent and curious look on their face?

It has been a popular discussion topic among animal owners and experts alike, and there are a number of theories that would explain the staring behavior.

The first theory is perhaps also the most simplistic one – it’s us humans who are to blame. After all, cats are a hunting species by nature, which has also resulted in good eyesight in order to help them to hunt in the greater scheme of history. With their eyes very well-developed, they actually blink a lot less compared to humans. Because of the minor blinking, we humans can actually wrongly interpret it as staring, while in fact, nothing out of the ordinary is going on.

However, a lot of experts agree that sometimes, there’s a lot more to it.

Especially when cats stare at each other – it’s actually seen as a sort of act of rivalry. You’ll often see this if both cats don’t know each other well and are still very unfamiliar – think of a new feline family member that is welcomed inside for the first time, for example. For the cats, it’s a sort of social dominance battle where staring plays a huge role. In some cases with aggressive cats, it could even end up in something physical.

When cats stare at humans, it wouldn’t be as a form of rivalry, but as a sign of affection instead.

When cats stare purposely – and not when we misidentify it as staring – at people, it wouldn’t be some kind of territorial or social dominance, unless you’re dealing with a particularly angry cat. People are often seen in a completely different light than other felines, and staring is actually seen as a token of appreciation, affection, and love.

Non-verbal body language is absolutely critical, even for cats. A lengthy stare at you can simply mean that they’re trying to show some love to their favorite human, or they’re just really really curious about what their owner is up to. There’s also the phenomenon of “eye kisses”, which is staring with partly closed eyelids and a few very slow blinks.

Sometimes, cats can actually try to tell you something as well.

For example, a long stare could be a sign that your feline is actually hungry and is hoping that you’ll refill some food. Trying to make eye contact can be a cry for attention, and your four-footed friend will likely do it near the food area if that’s the case.

Whether they’re hungry or thirsty or just simply bored – it can never hurt to give your feline friend some attention and love when they’re staring at you.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: iHeartcats, Purina