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.

Photo: Pexels/Rido Alwarno

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.

Photo: Pexels/Amber Janssens

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."

Photo: Pexels/Julia Volk

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!