Cats are interesting creatures and they have a lot of striking sensations, which are auditory. Here are 7 interesting things about cat ears that you may not know.
1. Cat ears are similar to other mammals, including three structural regions: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The outer ear is made up of the ear pinna (triangular) and ear canal. The task of ear pinna is to pick up sound waves and bring the ear canal into the middle ear. The cat’s ear canal is like a phone and can turn completely independent. According to some studies, cats have a lot of muscle to control their ears.
The middle ear has small membranes and bones called the bones, vibrating with sound waves and transmitting these vibrations to the inner ear. In the inner ear, sensory cells move and bend as signals move to the auditory nerve to the brain for processing.
In addition, the inner ear also contains the vestibular system, providing a sense of balance and spatial orientation. Therefore, when cats have ear infections, they usually show signs of head tilt or tenderness toward the injured ear.
2. The middle ear structure has baffles, separating the middle ear into two separate compartments. When they have otitis media, it is very difficult for veterinarians and cat owners to access treatment.
3. Cats can hear sounds at lower frequencies and higher frequencies than dogs and humans. Cats can hear between 45 and 64 kHz, compared to 67 to 45 kHz. Of the species of pets, cats are the best auditory species, because their instincts are sensitive auditory animals that help them to identify the enemy, the prey.
4. In fact, white cat with blue eyes incidence of congenital deafness.
5. Cat’s ear canal with self-cleaning mechanism and usually do not need your help to clean. Trying to clean the cats ears can cause problems such as an irritation when putting something in their ear. Unless the cat has an ear problem, only the veterinarian will have the expertise to cure your cat’s ears.
6. Kittens at birth, their ear pinna and ear canal will not work. They will start to hear the soft sounds (like their mother’s voice) for several weeks after birth.
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7. Through the cat ears heat you can tell if they are stressed. Whenever a cat is frightened and stressful, it results in the formation of energy in the body, which is released as heat. Cat’s right ear is the place to release heat when they are stressed.
