Cat ears are responsible for a lot more than inspiring a trend of adorable headbands for humans. Your cat’s ears are incredible body parts that not only detect sound, but control balance, communicate mood, and even hunt prey. Here are five amazing things that your cat’s ears are responsible for.
1. Cat Ears Have A Versatile Range Of Motion
Human ears are pretty much stuck in the position they are in. Cat ears, on the other hand, have 32 muscles in them to help them twitch, rotate, and have a greater sense of hearing. A cat’s ear can rotate up to 180 degrees, which makes them a perfect tool to help track down small scurrying prey from nearly any direction.
2. Cats Have Better Hearing Than Humans And Dogs
Often, dogs are cited as the pet with the best hearing abilities. Turns out, your cat has a larger range of frequencies she can hear. A dog’s range of hearing is from 67 to 45,000 hertz, whereas a cat’s range is an impressive 45 to 64,000 hertz! Humans come in last place by a mile with a hearing range of 20 to 23,000 hertz. If your cat’s ears are perking up, chances are she hears something that you don’t.
3. Cat Ears Help Control Your Cat’s Balance
Have you ever had an ear infection and felt a little off-balance? That is because you have fluid in your ears that help support your balance. Your cat’s inner ear contains the vestibular system, which is a system full of fluids to help your kitty keep her balance. You know how cats can (almost) always right themselves to land on their feet? Your kitty can thank her intricate ears for that.
4. Cat Ears Can Tell You How Your Cat Is Feeling
Most cat owners can tell something is up with their cat based on the position of his ears. Because of the intricate system of 32 muscles in your cat’s ears, he can swivel them like a giant satellite dish to signal different moods. A cat with ears flat against her head coupled with a tense stance tells us that she is uncomfortable and scared. Erect, twitching ears can signal that your cat is either annoyed by something you are doing or trying to figure out where a certain sound is coming from.
5. Cat Ears Start Out As Deaf Ears
When kittens are born, the ear canals are closed. This means your kitten is born deaf. When your kitty is about a week old, those ear canals will open. At about two weeks, she will be able to start recognizing sounds. By a month, she is well on her way to being able to tell the difference between said sounds.
Cat ears are both adorable and amazing. Be sure to properly care for your kitty’s ears to insure she leads a happy, sound and balanced filled life.