Ever get that disturbing feeling, like someone is watching you? Then, you must be a cat owner. "I always feel like somebodies watching me" may as well be the cat parent's official anthem. More often than not, you look up from your food, computer, or the T.V., and your cat is staring at you. It's rather uncomfortable and a tad bit perplexing. A cat's gaze can be a little intense. It leaves many of us wondering, why does my cat stare at me?
Staring can be another mode of communicating. Cats do many different things to communicate with their owners. They bite, lick, and knead. Meowing and hissing are two direct ways cats communicate with their owners. Granted, one is a little more friendly than the other. However, staring is a different way a cat communicates. There can be many different reasons why a cat stares at their owner. According to behaviorist and veterinarian Paola Cuevas, "Cats are very curious and observant creatures. If a cat has its eyes on you, it may be trying to study you, figure out your next move, or simply be entertained by you." That's a lot to unpack!
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As cat parents, you might have caught your kitty staring at you more than once in a while, and while those cat stares might even sometimes be unsettling — hey, we get it, it's human nature! — those cat eyes that seem to stare deep into your soul are common and usually normal. So before you think your cat is plotting your imminent demise or your kitty is trying to control your mind into doing her bidding (O.K., so maybe the mind control part isn't true, but she might be wondering when mealtime is!), here's why Fluffy is giving you "creepy stalker" vibes.
While you might be wondering if your feline friend is perhaps threatened by you (direct eye contact in the cat's world is a threat or a sign of aggression; cats try to out-stare each other in conflicts), your feline friend might simply be trying to tell you "I love you." Cuevas said, "Occasionally, cats may blink very slowly a couple of times, known as "cat eye kisses" this is a nonverbal cue that expresses the cat is fond of you, it likes, approves, or loves you."
"Some cats stare at their owners hoping for them to figure out they need something, but those stares are usually accompanied by vocalizations," said Cuevas. Just check their food bowl. Often, they are using their best mind control powers to get you to fill their food dish. They will typically use a combination of cat meows and tell-tale looks to really get your attention!
Although there's no way to know why your feline friend is looking at you exactly, cats are extremely intelligent and do their best to communicate through body language, like cat stares. For the most part, your cat's gaze is pretty harmless (like when your cats sleep with their eyes open or, let's be real, it's something food-related) and is no cause for alarm. So, unless your cat is trying to communicate some health issue, there is really no harm in just letting them stare — as creepy as it might be...
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