Rant: "Slow blink means they trust you" is only half the story

I keep seeing people say if your cat slow blinks, it means they love you. My cat does it right before she pounces on my feet under the blanket. I watched her do it to a squirrel outside the window too. Isn't it more of a "I'm not a threat, don't move" signal than pure affection? Has anyone else noticed this in a hunting context?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivershah6d ago

Wait, she slow blinked at a squirrel? That's wild, I've never heard of a cat doing that to prey before. It really does sound like a hunting tactic then, like she's trying to lull it into a false sense of calm. You might be onto something with the "don't move" idea.

christopher676d agoTop Commenter

Yeah, I saw a video about that exact thing.