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One of the coolest things we’ve ever learned about cat behavior is just how important body language is when bonding with them. Especially what you do with your eyes.
According to research conducted by psychologists from the University of Portsmouth and the University of Sussex, you can actually build rapport with cats by using an eye-narrowing technique (the so-called ‘slow blink’) with them. It’s the feline equivalent of a genuine human smile.
As per the study, cats are more likely to slow blink at their owners once they have slow blinked at them. Meanwhile, cats are also more likely to approach strangers’ outstretched hands after they slow blink at them.
“It’s definitely not easy to study natural cat behaviour, so these results provide a rare insight into the world of cat-human communication,” said Dr. Leanne Proops from the University of Portsmouth’s Department of Psychology, who co-supervised the work.
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My kitty used to bite a lot, and she would just do it randomly. You could be petting her, she'd be leaning into it purring and enjoying and suddenly she would just flip and bite you.
Well one day she bit my finger, and instead of pulling away and being hurt, I just shoved my finger further into her mouth lol. She gagged and then looked at me with a face I will never forget 😂 she was in absolute shock like what kind of a freak does something like that lol
She has never bitten me or another person since! She still snaps at you as if she's going to, but she won't actually do it. It's crazy, solved her biting problem practically overnight.
Anyway, success may vary lol.
Meanwhile, Professor Karen McComb, from the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, who supervised the work, had this to add: “As someone who has both studied animal behaviour and is a cat owner, it’s great to be able to show that cats and humans can communicate in this way. It’s something that many cat owners had already suspected, so it’s exciting to have found evidence for it.”
Furthermore, Dr. Tasmin Humphrey, the first author of the study, said that when people understand the positive ways of interacting with cats, this can then enhance the public’s understanding of cats, improve feline welfare, and help everyone learn more about the socio-cognitive abilities of these animals.
“In terms of why cats behave in this way, it could be argued that cats developed the slow blink behaviours because humans perceived slow blinking as positive. Cats may have learned that humans reward them for responding to slow blinking. It is also possible that slow blinking in cats began as a way to interrupt an unbroken stare, which is potentially threatening in social interaction.”
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When I cat-sit for my neighbors, I do the same for their evening feeding, which is dry food. They also LOVE it, so it’s not just my (ahem, orange) cat.
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Also pine pellets are a billion times better than litter and less expensive .
Which of these cat hacks genuinely surprised you the most, dear Pandas? What did your pets at home think of them when you tried them out?
What are some weird but brilliant pet hacks you know that you’d love to share with other animal lovers? Let us know all about it in the comments below. And tell your pets we said 'hi!'
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I've cleaned it many times (including scrubbing it with soap and disinfectant), perfumed it, left bits of fruit that cats allegedly don't like, nothing helped.
What did finally help was, after cleaning it yet again, putting there a small cat bed. Apparently, cat logic is, if a place is for sleeping, it's not for pooping (which does make sense).
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Their jealous hearts will be there in a second.
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Rugs are small and light enough to wash in the shower, or simply put in the washing machine. Keep plants away from the cats, a lot less hassle.
First and foremost, just relax. Forget a totally spotless home (goes for having kids as well, lol), and just enjoy.
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I have bathed many cats in my lifetime and short of getting into the tub with clothes on and letting them cling to me in desperation, I found that secure footing makes a huge difference. Instead of “I’m going to drown!!”, it’s more “I’m wet and severely unhappy.”.
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Obviously, the cat is very interested in this and also loves towels. Once I'm finished with the dog, she walks herself into the shower and I'm able to either pretend to wash her or actually wash her (useful if she's got a stinky butt) and then we repeat the ordeal with the praise and the towels and the attention and announce we have "the cleanest pets on planet Earth.".
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