Cat ears are one of the most expressive parts of their body. Becoming a good “ear translator” will pay off with increased understanding of the cat’s many moods.

The ultimate in contentment is the Happy Ears, seen at left with RJ. The ears rotate to point outward and then curve to form a smile over their blissfully closed eyes.

This can’t be mistaken for the opposite mood, in which the cat folds the ears back, and squints the eyes shut. But in this case, the cat is feeling threatened, and both the ears and eyes are pulled into this position with tensed muscles.

Swiveling ears are usually trying to locate the sound they are concentrating on. Pointed forward, especially with the whiskers also pointed forward, is the way they focus their attention on something that has caught their eye. But ears can also indicate thinking. One ear swiveling outward can show the cat has been taken aback by something and they are considering how to interpret the information.

Their ears can talk to us, and we can talk to their ears. Gently following the curve of their ear with our petting, cupping the ear in the palm of our hand, or slowly stroking the ear, from inside and outside, with the pads of our fingers, are all affectionate gestures the cat will appreciate.

Cats have such mobile ears because their hearing is very keen. Their range, in Hertz, is 45 to 64,000, instead of 64 to 23,000 in humans. Cats hear more sounds than we can, both high and low, and hear them at greater volume. They can distinguish between very similar sounds, and can detect even the smallest sounds that concern them.

Loud sounds are extremely distressing. Don’t play the music at top volume and expect them to hang around. Dropping something clattery will frighten them, and they should be reassured.

Never, ever, yell at them. It is very loud and frightening.

We can sound disappointed, sad, or distressed, and that will convey our meaning. They can understand even the subtlest tones in our voices.

That’s why they adore the sound of our voice when we are happy with them, and speaking softly and expressively. This is how we can show affection from across the room, even if we are busy with other things. Taking a moment to say their name with interest and attention means volumes to them.

They hear the love in our voice; even more than we do.

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There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.