Cats do not have to resort to physical force to be victorious in a conflict. They often use their most subtle and safest technique in a rival confrontation: curious.
Cats interpret staring as intimidation and rivalry. That explains why when a group of friends is visiting your home, the person who doesn’t want to get too close to your cat may be approached by the little feline, while cat lovers who are anticipating meeting your cat don’t get their attention. . People who are not fans of cats tend to look away or not look them in the eye. Cats do not find this a threat. On the other hand, cat lovers love to look them straight in the eye, which makes them feel intimidated or threatened.
When cats are in a rivalry, they initially try to look at each other more than others. If one of the cats finally looks away, it is usually a sign of surrender. However, if the prolonged gaze cannot solve the problem, it may progress to hitting or wrestling on the ground as they continue to stare at each other.
The dominant cat will look at the other cat until his opponent runs away. Once they start looking at each other, they put everything aside to focus their attention. They will remain in a high-tension state until one begins to blink away.
Cat owners are often encouraged to blink or wink their eyes slowly (for example, sleepy eyes) when looking directly at their cats. This sends a message that you are not a threat and that they should not be alarmed. However, cats always prefer their owners to use their peripheral vision to look at them rather than looking directly at them.
The pupils of cats contract or dilate depending on the light. In addition, they use their students to communicate their state of mind to others. When a cat’s pupils are dilated, it conveys fear, mild to aggressive arousal. However, when a cat is angry, its pupils will contract into a line, which means they are ready to attack. The reason they narrow their pupils is to better focus on their opponent and protect their eyes in the event of physical combat.
When cats are relaxed, they tend to keep their eyes half open as if they are falling asleep.