A cat or kitten will try to get your attention by staring deep into your eyes for a variety of reasons. They could be trying to tell you they are hungry, content, feeling curious, and most importantly that they love you. For cats, it is a form of communication. They are trying to convey an important message!
Why does my cat just stare at me? Am I funny-looking? Wait, don’t answer that. I wanted to find out the reasons why! I often wake up to curious intense eyes focused on me.
Why are you staring at me, Mr Fluff?
It’s 3 a.m. I roll over and there he is just staring at me with those eyes. Is PizzaCat plotting my demise perhaps?
Not likely. Although cats can be very verbal at times, there are other ways they try to use to communicate.
Non-verbal, physical contact is quite common. Like purring or rubbing up against you to mark their scent on you, eye contact is a way to let you know that they care about you.
The number one common reason your cat is staring at you is
Mr. Kitty wants a midnight snack.
Cats are naturally nocturnal. No matter how much we pet parents would LIKE them to adjust to our schedule, cats like to be active at night. Left alone in the wild, early morning near twilight is hunting time. Despite being spoiled and treated like family with their fancy beds and food bowls, their little internal clocks STILL remind them it’s time to snack in the middle of the night.
(Usually after a random zoomie in the dark, meant to mimic “hunting tactics”)
Your cat is trying to say “I love You”
A long constant stare in your direction is your feline buddy’s way of trying to bond with you!
What should I do when I wake up to a cat staring at me?
Don’t panic. It can be startling to wake up to a cat staring at you while you sleep, but it is just a way a cat is trying to get your attention. Looking deep into your eyes is a common non-verbal form of communication. Even though it can seem strange at first. alarming even!
Eye contact is a common tactic a cat uses to convey important messages.
Although it can be shocking to wake up to a cat staring you down in your sleep. Your little fluff may be trying to say hello, or I’m hungry, or just wake up, and want your attention.
With a little observation most likely you may even notice that deep stare in your direction being broken with a slow blink. That is a wonderful expression of trust and the desire to bond. Some theorize it is “I Love You ” in cat language.
Why not try this trick, try doing a slow blink to communicate in “cat language” to show that you also trust and love too ?
“The researchers performed the same slow-blink process as the first experiment, adding an extended hand towards the cat. And they found that not only were the cats more likely to blink back, but that they were more likely to approach the human’s hand after the human had blinked.”
https://www.sciencealert.com/you-can-build-a-rapport-with-your-cat-by-blinking-real-slow
Cats are amazing communicators, Movements and staring are just one way your cat is expressing their thoughts.
