How Does a Cats Ear Work

The pinna is shaped to capture sound waves and funnel them through the ear canal to the eardrum. In cats, the pinnae are mobile and can move independently of each other. The ear canal of cats is deeper and more tapered than in people, creating a better funnel to carry sound to the eardrum.

How do cats control their ears?

“Cats have a lot of muscle control over their ear,” says Dr. George Strain, a neuroscientist at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. “They can actually use it like a radar unit and turn it toward the source of sound and increase their hearing sensitivity by 15 to 20 percent.”

Why are cats ears shaped the way they are?

A cat’s ears are designed to pick up the high pitched sounds made by their prey. … When looking at the ear, the triangle-shaped part we see is the outer ear called the pinna, which funnels sound waves into the ear canal to the middle ear. Small bones then send vibrations to the inner ear.