You may not know it, but your cat has no less than 32 different muscles in each of its ears. That’s five times more than you! Thanks to this, your feline benefits from a simply exceptional range of motion. And for good reason, it can rotate their ears up to 180 degrees. This explains, in part, their excellent hearing.
But their ears are not only used to hear prey or a predator approaching. They are also a reflection of their mood. Here are the keys to understanding the state of mind of your hairball just by observing the position of their ears!
Good to know: some cats, like the Scottish Fold, have folded or turned-up ears, which makes them less expressive.
1. Erect ears
When your cat has cat ears erect, but with no signs of tension, that’s a sign that it’s completely relaxed. They can also pivot slightly forwards, backwards or to the side. Generally, it adopts this position of the ears when it is lying or sitting, and it feels calm and safe in their environment.
2. Ears prick forward
If your cat has erect ears on the head, but which point forward, it is a sign that it is curious, that something interests them or that it is in full activity (it hunts, for example ). Their ears can also tilt to one side or the other to allow them to locate the object of their attention more precisely.
3. One ear pricked forward and the other facing back or sideways
When your cat is listening, aware of its surroundings, it certainly tends to have one ear erect over its head or forward, and one ear the other way, facing backwards or tilted to the side.
He can adopt this position when it hears a noise behind them, for example. In this case, it does not worry them enough to make them stand up or turn around, but it prefers to make sure that there is really no danger by gathering more auditory information thanks to one of their ears.
4. Ears flattened back
If your cat suddenly puts their ears back on their skull, it is better to move away. This is because it’s a sign that it’s angry or scared and may be ready to get aggressive. The more flattened their ears, the more frightened or anxious your cat is.
5. Ears down to the side
When your cat lowers its ears to the side and they take on the shape of airplane wings, it is also a sign that something is scaring or upsetting it. This means that it is both alert and ready to act. In short, it warns their possible aggressor that at the slightest threatening gesture, it can go on the attack.
