Try telling it you love him or her!!! How you say? Look the cat in the eye, and then blink your eyes twice, with big, exaggerated,slow blinks, and then look away with your eyes and head downcast. That is the way cat's convey affection. Do that two or three times. You blink, then turn away, two or three times in a row. And no, I'm not kidding.
Staring at a cat directly shows threat or challenges. As you know, cat's don't vocalize very much. Most of their communication is gestural and body/tail clues.