Cat owners know that garnering feline interest often feels akin to coaxing aloof royalty. While dogs eagerly focus on beloved bipedal companions, cats seemingly prioritize movements mice make over their human calls.
But new research reveals key insights on reliable methods for charming even the most indifferent cat. The right combo of cues grabs a kitty’s attention, according to a recent study from Paris Nanterre University’s animal behavior lab. Their findings explain why both verbal utterances and visual gestures work best when vying for those captivating cat eyes.
The Curious Science of Cat Calling
Lead researcher Charlotte de Mouzon long studied interspecies communication via her past experiments on dogs and horses. But for her latest project, de Mouzon shifted focus to unraveling mysteries around how cats and people interact effectively.
Her key question examined whether cats respond more to physical or vocal signaling from humans bidding for their engagement. De Mouzon also wondered if blending both visual and audio cues might amplify the success of summoning aloof felines.
The study took place within two French cat cafés, considered ideal relaxed environments for observing cat behavior. De Mouzon familiarized herself with a dozen resident cats before staging four types of engagement entreaties:
Verbal Only – Calling kitty by name using high-pitched “popups” kissing sounds
Visual Only – Offering hand for sniffing, direct eye contact, blinking slowly
Verbal + Visual – Combining name-calling, treats, petting and blinking
No Interaction – Ignoring the cat completely as control
Blending Signals Boosts Cat Engagement
Major revelations emerged around preferential cat communications from the experiments. Most significantly, blending vocalizations with visual cues like outstretched hands proved far more effective at capturing kitty interest than either approach alone.
Researchers also took note of when cats responded more actively to physical overtures over voice-only interactions. The university team theorized that body language and facial gestures reduce uncertainty by providing cats with clear intent signals from humans.
Additionally, tail motions offered behavioral insight; vigorous swishing corresponded with being ignored while relaxed waving occurred during successful engagement attempts. This suggests cats manifest stress physically when uncertain of human intention through previous interaction.
Optimizing Kitty Connections With Mixed Messaging
While cats communicate indirectly, people can learn to enhance exchanges by speaking their language. This means pairing verbal addresses with tangible cues, much like beckoning someone both verbally and physically in human gatherings.
With this study revealing dual channel engagement ideal for clicking with cats, try combining soft chatter with eye contact and hand extensions when attempting to charm your kitty. Let them lead interactions after capturing their attention, whether through cheek rubs or offering toys triggering play interest.
Soon you’ll discover even the most reticent feline warming up faster when you nimbly speak fluent Cantonese! Just blend vocal and visual cues keeping kitty interest piqued to optimize your unique friendship.