Do you love me or want something to eat?The owners know their cats and their penetrating looks, although some have a hard time identifying what the animal wants to express.
In fact, there are several possible interpretations, says Hester Pommerening, of the German Association for Animal Welfare."The look should always be analyzed in the context with the rest of the body," she says.
Is the cat sitting or erect?Move the booty?How are your ears?Maulla?You have to keep all this to detect the animal's mood.
Pet coach Michaela Asmuss knows seven different possibilities of interpretation, but beforehand he warns: "Starmingly looks away and threatening among cats."However, over time they have learned that looks with humans can lead to something good, such as food and attention.
Thus, some cats look at their caregivers with an intense look to remind them that it is the time of eating.At first, the animal is reserved, it remains sitting quietly and limits itself to looking motionless.
If the human does not react as the cat wishes, the next step could eventually be a "miau."The animal can also start walking around his caregiver and rub his back against the latter's legs.
When the human finally gets moving, the cat tries to take him in the direction of the kitchen."Cats have an internal clock that rarely deceives them," says the expert.
Cats learn this behavior through a misunderstanding: they stare at their human for some reason, he thinks that the animal is hungry and rushes into the refrigerator.As a result, the smart cat stares at its caregiver naturally more often.
This also happens when the human is eating and the cat wants something.Some communicate it very clearly, taking their gaze repeatedly from the owner to the plate and vice versa or following each bite with the eyes.
Others stare at their owner as they lift their tail upright and make it tremble.In this situation, some also resort to the combination of looks and slice, while others prefer to raise their leg to discreetly express their claim.
Cats also stare at their owners when they want to get their attention.“For example, when sitting in front of the computer, absorbed in a book or asleep.Some cats are teachers in the art of looking fixed at the caregiver when he is sleeping until he wakes him up, ”says Asmuss.
In these cases, the cat feels completely relaxed, their ears are carefully headed forward.Some also maúllan or lift a leg to point out their desire for contact.If the person responds, the cat shields or begins to give slight kicks with their legs.
The most beautiful of the looks is that they can also be a gesture of sympathy, even of love.It is that if his owner's owner did not like, visual contact would be uncomfortable.The flickering goes one step further, because with it cats express their deep affection."Answer with a flicker one," recommends the expert in cats.
Another of the positive reasons of the looks can be curiosity, such as when the cat's owner is doing something interesting, from the point of view of the cat, such as having a small object that moves quickly.
The animal perceives it as a possible prey and is ready in hunting position, with a slightly tense body and, perhaps, a little inclined forward.The ears and mustaches also lean forward, while the tail moves a little by excitement.
However, it is risky when cats starely observe and with that posture the feet or fingers of their owners: it is an imminent attack and the person should better put their limbs.
The fixed look can also be seen in the real hunting situation.Since cats only have to moisten their corneas with relative low frequency by flickering, they can closely monitor their potential victim and then launch the attack at the right time.
"They also look threateningly to other foreign cats in their territory," says Pommerening, of the Association for Animal Welfare.If none lowers your eyes, you can reach a fight.
The cat can also express a threat with his gaze in the deal with humans.The animal puts its rigid body and widens, with its head slightly lower than the trunk, the ears turn back, the pupils narrow.The tail low and forms an "L", the fur is bristling.In addition, you can listen to a growl."Then caution is advised," says Asmuss.
Even fearful cats stare, because they try to perceive every movement of their enemy potential to make the decision to attack or flee.
The fearful cat bends down in a corner or against the wall.The pupils are enlarged, the ears turn to the sides or backwards.The tail surrounds the cat as if it were protection.If the person approaches the cat, the animal can snort, something that must be taken very seriously as a warning.
The pet coach recommends calming the threatening or scared cats with a blink, then looking the other way and slowly returning, speaking in a low and quiet voice.
"Flashing and looking away always shows that there are good intentions," he summarizes.In general, the expert recommends not staring at cats, even if they have been looking at several minutes.Because even if the cats do it, in the background they feel that staring is a decoured.
