Sharing is caring.

On Thursday I was able to witness Jasper and Dragon sharing a sleeping spot for the first time. Jasper had tried to lie down by Dragon a couple of times before, but each time, Dragon had shot up from his spot and run away. This time he stayed, and I was lucky enough to have my camera on hand.



This was immediately after Jasper settled down. Dragon has raised his head and is looking at Jasper with his ears pulled back, expressing mild concern at their proximity. Note that he is not looking directly at Jasper's face -- his gaze is directed past his face and slightly to the right. Looking right at another animal's face would be at best impolite in dog language, and at worst a threat.



Jasper turned his head to look at Dragon, and Dragon immediately turned his head away. This is a polite social signal to keep the peace, and an expression of mild discomfort (note that his ears are still pulled back and his face is tense), and a check-in with me to make sure that I have his back and everything's okay.



The moment passes. Jasper has laid his head down to sleep. Dragon starts to relax and also lays his head down. The mirrored body language is an acceptance of sharing the small space, though his ears aren't back to neutral position yet (though it's possible that that's just because he's listening to the clicks and whirrs from the camera).



Finally, after the "conversation" is complete, Dragon truly relaxes and stretches out as he's most comfortable. Honestly I think that Jasper was oblivious to the whole thing. Then again I'm not as familiar with cat body language so perhaps I am the oblivious one!