Are you wondering why your cat is staring at you? Most people who own cats might probably curious about the same thing since cats often stare without their eyes blinking. If you are constantly losing with your cat in a staring contest, this article could give you a hint on what’s on their mind. Learn your cat’s behavior in three, two, and one.
Why Do Cats Stare?
Our cats are also interested in our lives, especially on what we do. One of the main reasons why your cat is staring at you is to get cues in order to determine how to respond.
When the time is near for mealtime, you can observe your cat starting to stare and become active. The best guess is, your little tailed buddy is waiting for some clues of when you are going to feed them. Try to stand up while your cat is staring at you and it will surely follow you wherever you go. This is how you know the reason why they impatiently watch over your activities.
Naturally, cats are nocturnal hunters so their eyes and vision are special. Once you see their pupils fully dilate which could expand almost twice as ours, this might make you feel some creeps but it is actually their way to see even in darkness.
As a matter of fact, cat eyes are special. It can see about one-sixth of the illumination required for human vision but they are relatively week in handling bright lights. This is the reason why they constrict their pupils into small slits.
Cats also talk using their eyes. So, when you caught your cat staring at you, try to figure out what it is trying to imply. Look at their eyes and observe its appearance in line with its overall behavior. Also, consider what’s happening in their environment as well as your own activity at the time. This could give you a clue on what your cat is thinking.
As notoriously curious animals, cats often stare just to know what you are up to. These little creatures often move their eyes and head in order to track your activities. They are also incredibly sensitive in any changes in your movement. Therefore, they might be watching you learn what you do or just because you are acting differently.
Cat Stares to Send You a Message
Cats learn things from their experiences. This includes how they behave and how to use their behavior to send us a message.
Since pet owners feed them which is a very important thing, cats learn that staring with a pleading look could effectively get them treats. It might even try to persuade you to give more with a combination of meowing and staring.
In the same way, your cat might get you to feed him more, open a door, or play with him. To put it simply, staring is cats way to get what they want. Another thing is to send you a message that it seeks your attention. You may also hear him purr while staring at you.
In line with this, specific cat breeds such as Siamese try to catch your eyes to stare at theirs in order to stop you to give our attention to anything or anyone else. Isn’t it cute? Your cat might be actually jealous while watching you petting your dog or your other cat so it tries to command your attention.
When your cat stares at you, make sure to observe their eyes. Some cats stare with a dilated pupil which means they are getting ready for something bad to happen. On the other hand, they fully dilate it when they are expecting something beneficial for them. Like treats, your attention, or getting you to do what they want.
Fear could also be a reason behind a cat stare. Moreover, how to determine if your cat is scared or it just wants something good from you? If your cat is staring at you while having a fully dilated pupils, a tense face and body, twisted ears backward, possibly hissing and tail lashing, along with aggressive behavior, he is definitely scared.
These physical clues are not according to aggression. It is clearly a sign of fear. When a cat sees a human approaching which they determine a threat, their adrenaline will release which will trigger them either to freeze or fight as a response. To avoid prevent this dangerous moment to happen, let your cat know that you are friendly by slowly blinking while it is staring at you or just avoid it for the meantime.
Conclusion
Cat behavior is really interesting to learn. Now that you already know some of the reasons why your cat is staring at you, choosing the right response is now easier.
While the suggested reasons above are the most common meaning behind your cat stares, also take note that cat staring could also be a result of some chronic medical conditions of cats.
This includes kidney failure, heart disease, as well as untreated hyperthyroidism. Take time to find out the meaning of your cat’s stares and you’ll live with them happily.