June 3, 2024, 9:14 am | Read time: 7 minutes
For cats, being stared at is a threat and could be perceived as “I don’t trust you – I’ve got my eyes on you”. For this reason, cats don’t like being stared at. However, they themselves are masters of staring at us. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t trust us. In fact, there are several potential explanations for this. In this article, PETBOOK reveals how you can decipher these reasons and when you should take action.
Cats don’t like it when you stare directly into their eyes. Nevertheless, many cat owners are familiar with the scenario of their cat sitting down in front of them, staring back with a fixed gaze. But why do cats do this? Is this domestic predator stalking us and choosing us as prey? It’s not quite like this, as there are various reasons why a cat would stare. Some of them are positive, others are behaviors with a negative consequence for the animal in the long term.
Overview
Why does a cat stare in the first place?
For cats in nature, staring has its advantages. When hunting and stalking, cats perceive all environmental conditions with their sharp fixation. They are able to recognize whether the prey they are observing is healthy and, therefore, tasty.
When hunting, there is nothing in the immediate vicinity that the cat cannot see. This allows them to weigh up the best moment to strike, for instance when the prey is distracted. It is important to know that when cats stare at us, they don’t want to eat us. Instead, they are using their behavior to express other signals intended to communicate with us.
Expressing interest
Even though there are many misconceptions about cats, we are still very relevant to them. Our cats take a keen interest in us and like to look at us. For cats that are used to the presence of humans, we are their social partners. If we display behavior that seems strange to them, they respond by taking a closer look. Perhaps we have just scratched our nose or sat down more comfortably, so the cat shows interest in where we are in the room or whether we are making other strange movements.
Sometimes, the cats’ interest is also aroused by the fact that the next meal is approaching, so they expect their owner to get up and start preparing the food or pour it from the packet into the bowl. However, owners should not always take it as an expression of hunger if the cat stares at them for a long time, as this could just be a show of their interest in us. As mentioned at the beginning, cats do not stare at us because they are hungry for prey, but because this behavior has positive benefits for them, making it even stronger. This leads to the risk of overfeeding in the long term.
Showing sympathy
A cat behaves this way in order to let us know that it likes us. If the cat stares at its owner and puts its full focus on him, it may mean that it simply wants to express how much it likes him. A cat may also blink slowly and deliberately at its owner as a further sign of its affection. Cats do this as a greeting gesture that can be interpreted in the same way as a hug from the cat. If you blink slowly back at them, the social bond can be strengthened. You can find out more about this in the article: Winning a cat’s trust with a wink.
Signs of aggression
However, not all the reasons for why cats stare at us are positive. Among cats, a fixed gaze is sometimes also a sign of agonistic behavior, i.e. lurking behavior or aggressive play. It is easier to classify this behavior correctly if you take a closer look at the cat’s other physical signals.
If a cat shows all of these signs in addition to staring, it is probably having a bad time with the person it is staring at. In this situation leave the cat alone, keep your distance and do not make eye contact. The cat is under extreme stress. This behavior is not typical of a domesticated cat and can have various physical or psychological explanations. If this behavior persists, it should be discussed with a vet or worked through in cat behavioral therapy.
Also interesting: Are my cats fighting or just playing?
Play behavior
Another reason why cats suddenly start to stare at us is play. Young cats in particular are excited by moving things. This can also be dangling earrings or a strand of hair that moves. In a trance like state, the cat may even make a pounce attack on the supposed prey.
Cats don’t mean any harm by this. They fall into a kind of hunting trance and are not aware at that moment that the exciting object is a person. It is therefore a good idea to connect with the cat in such a situation and interrupt the staring. You can also just stand up or change your position. This is often enough to stop the play sequence.
Anxious cats maintain eye contact
Even if cats are particularly anxious or do not trust a stranger, they will not take their eyes off them. In most cases, the cat not only stares, but also shows other fear reactions. These include pressing itself against the ground when walking or tucking its tail between its legs. Anxious cats try to appear as small and inconspicuous as possible and keep a constant eye on what frightens them because they fear an attack.
Some cats can be relieved of their fear if you talk to them quietly, or kneel down in front of them and hold out slightly curled fingers for them to sniff. Others are so caught up in their fear that they block any approach or try to drive away the offered hand with a swipe of their paw. Such a fear reaction in cats can also have pathological causes. Has the cat experienced cruel behavior in the past, been neglected, or had problems with other aggressive cats? Fearful reactions in cats can be irrational and put them under great stress. In this case, only behavioral therapy can help.
Why cats sometimes yawn when stared at
Another noticeable behavior that cats show when they stare at people is hearty yawning. This may also have several explanations. On the one hand, yawning, as with other animals, is a natural sign of relaxation or tiredness. Sometimes the cat’s gaze is fixed on us because it is getting sleepy but would still like to watch us for a while before dozing off.
However, it can also be a signal of appeasement if the cat senses that they have made us nervous by looking at us. When cats yawn, their bodies relax and they express to other cats that they mean no harm. This also finds its way into communication with humans.
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If the cat stares – don’t join in!
Even if it is tempting to enter into a staring contest with a cat, humans should not do so. In cat language, continuous staring, as discussed in the paragraph on aggressive behavior, communicates threat with other cats.
Many cats avert their eyes when people stare at them. This is also a sign of appeasement from cats, letting us know that they are not looking for a confrontation and that they respect us. If a cat has a strong social bond with their owner, the appeasement signals go even further. They yawn, stretch with pleasure and raise their paw without showing their claws.
The cat is trying to communicate something like: “Everything’s fine between us, isn’t it?” As the owner, you should give the cat feedback that you don’t want a confrontation either. This can be done by blinking slowly at them, stroking their head briefly, or lowering your gaze.