I’ve had a number of cats over time, and all of them shared the same characteristic. When we made eye contact, if I squinted my eyes, they would do the same without hesitation. And if we were looking at each other, and they squinted their eyes, if I responded the same way, they’d purr and go all gooey.
At the time, it really felt like a form of communication.
So what gives with cat squinty eyes then?
M
When a cat slowly squeezes it’s eyes shut while looking at you, they are saying “I mean you no harm, I hold no aggression towards you.” That is how they let other cats know they hold no hostilities. An intent stare, with ears upright or tilted forwards and upright “vulturelike” posture can mean aggresiveness, intimidation or the dominant cat letting the other cats know that it intends to keep it’s status. Not always, but usually.
Yep, it’s a sign of friendship. When a cat glares at you and their pupils get really big, then lookout. Kitty may take a swipe at you.
I’ve “taught” a few of my cats the “What’s up-head-nod” They look at me and squint, I look at them squint then do the head nod, they do it back. Too cute.
We call it the “slow blink”. I get very miffed when I slow blink at Dewey and he doesn’t return it. It would be rude not to do it back when he does it to me, though.
My Siamese challenges me for alpha cat status every now and then in a number of ways. I’ve learned to never be the first to look away in a staring contest. If I do, he takes that as a sign of weakness and starts upping the ante. There’s a reason the “bad guy” cats in cartoons are usually Siamese 
What they said. I’ve made a point of learning the fuzzy black land shark’s physical language; it’s fun to interact with him on his own level.
(Along the same lines, don’t stare at your cat, either. A longish look a few seconds, is fine, then a slow blink, and look away. Purr purr.)
True. Even cats that know you and trust you will often shy away from long eye contact. It’s HOW they show you they trust you, by looking away.
I had a cat when I was a kid, a siamese in fact, that I could get to blink one eye at a time with me. The mirror-image eye would blink back at me.
I read a book on cat behavior that says the slow blink is the kitty equivalent of saying “I love you.” You can take that for what you feel it’s worth, but the reaction the OP is getting from his/her kitties lends it a bit of credence.
Doozles tells me he loves me by standing up on his hind legs and rubbing his chin on my chin. I know he’s scent-marking me, but he doesn’t do it that special way with anybody else.
I’m having to leave him to the BF’s tender mercies while I’m out of town for a few weeks. If Dewey starts hugging and kissing him like he does me, I’ll be so hurt.
:eek:
My cat just stares at me. Maybe I should go back to the “When will your pet eat your corpse thread”.