Do cats blink?

[crankysaurus]

Just had a short starting competition with a startled local cat (which hasn't realised I was sat in the garden). Thirty seconds or so and I blinked loads whereas the cat didn't blink once. Do they have super-skills on not blinking? (I lost the staring competition and looked away first, for the record. Fair play to the cat)

I just had to try this with my three cats. the two brother cats don't seem to blink when stared at, but their Mother cat, did a bit of a blink, but maybe it was a shut eye thing,as I was waving a hand in front of her face, and she jumped off the bed and ran off, !!

Yes, not when you are staring at them though.

Yes they do but only if they are relaxed, I believe. I’ve read they interpret staring as aggressive and if they do a slow blink at you it’s cat-speak for I love you. If I blink at my cat she blinks back so whether it’s true or not I’m taking it!

They do, yes. But not if you're looking at them as it's a sign of weakness in cat-ese. If they do a long slow blink at you it means they love you (or at least aren't planning to eat you right now).

Ha ha you lost the staring? competition.
Of course they blink , if you stare they think you are aggressive. When a cat blink slowly someone once told me it was a kiss from a distance. I love that and the whole family blink like crazy at times . It's their way of bonding and to calm you just as dogs do when blinking.

But guess who just lost the territorial right to your garden.

Eventually. Blink at them slowly and they'll blink back. If they feel like it.

Yes. If you do a slow blink it means hello. But keep staring and that is not nice. Threatening.

Yes. They have 3 eyelids. One that goes in from the side and a set up and down like ours. I’ve noticed my cat blinks the side ones more When she’s falling asleep. A slow blink means I love you

Ds is sure our dcat winks at him!!.

@Windyatthebeach - this one winks. One of DS's friends was beyond excited when he winked at him

But guess who just lost the territorial right to your garden.

Shit, i didn't think of that. Will have to try the long slow blink next time and maybe it'll let me share.

My dcat's quirks include eating vegetables and drinking tea..

They do blink,but nowhere near as frequently as humans. They have a third eyelid,which sweeps across their eyeball a bit like a windscreen wiper. Not blinking frequently assists them when hunting.

iklboo and Windyatthebeach My parents had a cat many years ago who used to wink at people quite often. It's strange but I've had many cats since but not one of them has ever winked at anyone!

DS was cat sitting for us one evening and phoned up in a panic as the cat had one eye permanently shut. Don’t know why in the 5 years we’d had the cat he’d never noticed she did that when she was tired (as in 22 hrs out of every 24).