rap-paw with it. Carlos G. Lopez/Getty Images Have you ever noticed your cat glaring at you through half-closed eyes? While many of us have seen this expression, it turns out that human interpretation of cat behavior might be completely wrong. In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers discovered that this feline expression, which they call "slow blinking" and "eye narrowing," may actually be a sign of positive emotion – and when you return the gesture to your cats, it actually makes them feel better about you too! Advertisement On the whole, feline social communication behavior and cat-human interactions have not been as widely studied as other animals such as dogs, horses, pigs, goats and even cows. That's not because the cats are uncooperative – though we all know they can be. Actually, animal behaviorists originally believed that cats were more solitary creatures based on their evolutionary history despite being domesticated. Over the years though, studies have shown that cats are almost as good as dogs at following a pointed finger to an object or referencing their favorite human when they're confused about what to do.