Rehome Cats in the (Slow) Blink of an Eye

When it comes to bonding with cats, it’s all about the eyes—and a technique called the slow blink. What the heck is a “slow blink”? Give it a try right now (after you read this next sentence). Slowly close your eyes and keep them closed for a couple of seconds, then slowly open them again. That’s all there is to it. Approach a cat slowly and quietly, do a slow blink yourself and the cat may respond in kind (if they’re feeling you).

Research has already shown that initiating this behavior is a way to calm and connect with a cat. According to a new study focused on cats in shelters, cultivating slow-blink behavior may also help cats find homes faster.

Animal behavior researchers at the Universities of Sussex and Portsmouth gathered data from interactions with 18 cats at the The National Cat Adoption Centre (NCAC), the UK’s largest cat rehoming center. The cats were divided into two groups: anxious cats that needed more time with employees and volunteers in order to increase their confidence around humans, and cats in a non-desensitization group.

The study found:

• Shelter cats participate in slow blinking interactions with humans, and cats that showed an increased number of and longer eye closures in response to human slow blinks were rehomed faster.
  
• Nervous cats may spend more time slow blinking than relaxed cats, providing supporting evidence that this behavior may act as both a positive signal and a submissive display.

“Since the slow blink is becoming increasingly recognised as a form of communication employed by cat owners and non-cat owners alike,” the researchers note, “these findings may have practical implications for shelters by introducing strategies to promote positive social interactions between potential adopters and shelter cats, particularly for cats that might be more likely to spend a longer time in care (e.g., inactive cats or black cats).”

In other words, a few (slow) blinks could go a long way in reducing adoption length of stay. Check out the full study, “Slow Blink Eye Closure in Shelter Cats Is Related to Quicker Adoption,” and start purr-fecting your blink.