Have you ever noticed how cats tend to stare at people?
My sister has a cat, and whenever I take my laptop to her house to work, he digs into me with eyes like daggers. Whenever I look up from my computer, he’s staring.
At first, it can be unsettling but it’s also quite endearing. As it turns out, cats don’t stare at humans for no reason!
According to Purina, cats use staring as a form of non-verbal communication.
A cat’s stare can tell us a lot if we know what to look for. They can be expressing trust and comfort, or fear and upset. It’s important to look at their overall body language to properly interpret their stare.
Another reason cats might stare at humans is out of curiosity. They say curiosity killed the cat, and there’s some truth to that!
According to Burgess Pet Care, cats gaze at humans to share information in the same way people do. Ethologist Péter Pongrácz said, “Most animals rarely gaze at each other, and when they do, it’s often a sign of hostility. To see cats use gaze the way people do – to share information – is ‘really surprising.’ The findings provide stronger proof that cats have evolved to be capable of complex communication with humans.”
Cats may stare to identify humans they know, express their emotions, or even check for human emotions! It’s pretty incredible.
The next time you see a cat staring your way, stop and pay attention to his or her body language. You might be able to pick up on some cues you didn’t notice before!
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
