Cat body language - avoiding eye contact, lidded eyes

[Cf24248]

Hi!

I have another question about cat body language. I only see this with my one male cat Ori. Sometimes when I tell him 'no' - Almost exclusively when he's either trying to climb into my lap and I'm working, or he's trying to sneak food - He will halt for a moment, and then start up again moving sooooo slowly, and he will have lidded eyes and be very pointedly not looking at me.

The other time he does it is sometimes when he's around the new cat he's being introduced to. They're not friends yet, or allowed free together - but Ori is curious about him, even if he's still wildly defensive. He will sometimes perch near the new cat and hunker down onto his paws, and he will do the same thing... Eyes lidded, half closed, and looking away. Of course, as soon as the new cat twitches an ear, he's on full alert with giant pupils.

I know both of those things in the right situations mean a calm, relaxed cat, and I've seen that as well, but this is a little different. In the first situation it totally reads as "if I go slowly and don't look at you, then you don't see me and you don't know I'm still doing the thing" but I'm unsure about the second situation.

 

[Julesbiscuits]

I'm not 100% sure but my cat Misfit does something similar that means "I'm offended" as far as I can tell. When he doesn't like something but it's not scary enough to make him run off, he kind of leans back and squints his eyes. And swivels his ears to the sides.

 

[Margot Lane]

I know direct eye contact with (esp male) wild cats can sometimes be seen as a threatening gesture— I think the same is true of house cats. Half closed kids can be a way of saying: “It’s all cool, I’m just chill.” Nictating membranes though…the white third eyelid..different story and can sometimes be a sign something needs to be checked out by a vet.

 

[Alldara]

With ears back or pinned it can convey annoyance or concern.

Slow blinking or slow squinting is a sign of affection and trust or wanting to build trust.

 

[ArtNJ]

Tell me this, do you sometimes find him on your lap without knowing how he got there? That's a lap ninja, a cat that uses their hunting skills to get past your resistance. I think that is what he is doing. He knows you see him and said no, but he isn't giving up. He is doing the slow stalk while maintaining vigilace and looking for his moment.

I have a lap ninja myself. We have the same kind of battles at the door. I look at him. He realizes his prey sees him and is on guard so he freezes. You dont test the Buffalo when its on guard, that doesnt go well. I look away for a second when opening the door . . . and he is through.