Why can’t you look a cat in the eyes for a long time?

Whatever signs and legends the people did not compose: a black cat that crossed the road is a harbinger of failure, a cat is a companion of the devil and a minion of witches. All this creates a mysterious and mystical aura around cats, which frightens impressionable people. And what stories are not invented about their eyes! For example, they say that if you look into the eyes of a cat for a long time, you can see the other world. And although this is just a children’s horror story, experts and zoopsychologists still do not recommend looking into the eyes of a pet for a long time. The reason, however, is not at all mystical in nature.

Features of cat language

The eyes of a cat are not only a sense organ, but also another means of expressing mood along with the tail, paws and voice. Half-closed eyes and purring indicate that the pet is well. But wide-open eyes and a gaze are a signal of danger. So why can’t you look a cat in the eyes? It’s simple: this is how animals ready to attack look at each other. Probably, at least once in your life you have seen how two cats on the street stare into each other’s eyes, their backs are arched, their hair is on end, and perhaps they even hiss at each other. It’s the same in the wild: if one of the cats blinks or looks away during such a duel, the enemy will immediately attack. It is for this reason that a close look into the eyes can be perceived by a pet as aggression.

If you look your cat in the eyes without looking away for a long time, she may become nervous because she thinks that you are trying to threaten her territory or encroach on her property – food and toys.

In this case, the protective instinct may well work: the pet will try to attack and will not hesitate to use its teeth and claws.

However, as practice shows, not all animals perceive a long look as a challenge. Much depends on the upbringing and characteristics of the cat. Some cats are so affectionate that in response to a long look, they will try to lick your face.

Scientific rationale

There is another explanation for the sharp reaction of cats to a closer look into the eyes. It is based on the difference in the structure of the eye and the features of human and cat vision.

So, in the eyes of a person, central and peripheral vision have a clear boundary. Simply put, in order to clearly consider one object, we focus our vision on it, as a result, the rest of the objects around it are blurry. In order to better consider them, we need to shift our gaze. Cats do not need to do this at all. Since they have a rather blurred border between central and peripheral vision, their eyes are able to cover and study in detail everything that is in their field of vision. They do not need to switch their eyes from one object to another in order to consider it.

When a person stares into the eyes of a cat, she simply does not understand why he is doing this, and this can frighten the pet and cause an unexpected and sharp reaction, including aggressive.

Other Features of Cat Vision

Cat vision has other features, around which there are many myths and misconceptions. So, many people think that the eyes of cats glow in the dark, but this is not so. In addition, for a long time it was believed that cats and dogs see the world in black and white. But scientists were able to establish that cat vision perceives colors, although not as much and not as clearly as human. In particular, cats see shades of blue and green well.