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Some cats may not be as vocal as other animals like dogs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t talking to you. Cats often show their feelings through their body language. Learning to understand a cat’s body language will help you figure out what they are trying to tell you. One of the more common body language traits of cats is the slow blink. Is the slow blink a sign of affection? Is it a cause for concern? Let’s find out why cats slowly close their eyes at us and how we should respond to it.
Cat’s eyes have a similar basic structure to human eyes. Each eye has the same components of a cornea, lens, iris, pupil, retina, optic nerve, orbit, sclera and conjunctiva. However, cat’s eyes have many variations to help them be an expert hunter and see in all types of light levels, including in the dark. Cats have an upper and lower eyelid, as well as a third eyelid known as nictitating membrane that moves diagonally across the eye when the cat blinks. Their third eyelid offers protection to the eyeball and helps restore the tear film over the eye and keeps them clean.
Cats don’t have to blink as often as humans do. Cats can go for hours without blinking. This is most likely because they need to keep their eyes open in the wild to help them hunt and avoid being hunted. Even though cats don’t blink as often as we do, that doesn’t mean they don’t blink at all. Cats can blink for several different reasons including to help clean their eyes.
One of the most noticeable cat blinks is the slow blink. A slow blink is exactly what it sounds like, a slow and leisurely closing and opening of the eyes. Your cat will completely or partially close their eyes for more than half a second. Slow blinking in cats has a deeper meaning. For cats, slow blinking is a sign of trust. It means they trust you enough to lower their guard. Slow blinking is your cat telling you they feel comfortable and relaxed in your presence. Cats may slow blink at other cats as a way to signal they are not a threat. You can also use the same motion to signal to cats, that you are not a threat either! When a cat looks at you, give them a slow blink, this will let them know they can trust you. The cat may slow blink back at you or approach you. Slow blinking with your cat is a great way to enhance your bond. It’s not exactly known how slow blinking in cats first came about. It may have been something they developed after interacting with humans and being rewarded for blinking slowly. It may have developed as a way to break a stare which is typically seen as a potentially threatening action.
While slow blinking is not a cause for concern, there are other signs in eye behavior that may be a sign something is wrong. Rapid blinking may be a sign of a negative or fearful emotional state. If your cat has increased blinking or squinting in one or both eyes, it may be a sign of inflammation in or around the eye. You may see increased discharge or tear production. If you notice your cat cannot blink one or both eyes, your cat is blinking frequently, squinting, or holding one or both eyes completely shut, an increased tear production, green/yellow or bloody discharge from the eyes, or pawing at the eyes and/or redness/cloudiness in or around their eyes, you should contact your vet immediately.
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