Understanding a cat’s emotions can be trickier than understanding a dog’s.
While it’s easy to spot when a dog is happy with their wagging tail, open mouth, and bright eyes, cats express happiness differently, making it harder for those unfamiliar with their behavior.
We all want to make our cats happy, but cats, more often than not, look annoyed, especially towards us. You may even start wondering, do cats smile at all?
Although some cats may look grumpy, most cats have a slightly smiley expression even when not showing any particular emotion. Some even call this “resting smile face” for laughs.
Cats have a special way of showing happiness that is similar to a human smile. It’s called a slow blink. A cat is content and relaxed may give you a slow, intentional blink.
If you have a secure and comfortable cat, it may not react strongly to your facial expressions, whether you’re smiling or frowning. However, you can try a special trick: smile and give your cat slow blinks.
If you have a new or timid kitty, try to approach them calmly and carefully. Smiling yourself may remind you to do this, provided you project a happy, calm demeanor.
Cats who haven’t formed a strong bond with someone or don’t feel completely safe can easily get startled by loud voices and sudden movements.
Subscribe to The Discerning Cat Newsletter and we'll send you a free 50 page ebook Why Do Cats…. Common Cat Behaviours Explained