Purr-fect petting: How to bond with cats

Cats are more likely to respond by slow blinking at their owners when their owners slow blink at them first. — AFP

Researchers in Britain have shed some light on how to build a “rap-paw” with your cat, or even your friend or neighbour’s cat, for that matter. Instead of simply smiling, it seems that the key to feline bonding is to slow blink at a cat.

Your nicest smile may have a cute baby cooing with delight, but it won’t necessarily have the same effect on a cat. Researchers at the Universities of Sussex and Portsmouth in Britain have studied cat-human interaction, offering some insight into how cat owners can bond with their pets.