The key to knowing your mood!

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 movement. And for good reason, he can rotate his ears up to 180 degrees. Which explains, in part, his excellent hearing.

But its ears are not only used to hear prey or a predator approaching. They are also a reflection of his mood. Here are the keys to understanding the state of mind of your furball only by observing the position of its ears!

Good to know : Some cats, like the Scottish Fold, have folded or turned ears, which makes them less expressive.

1. Ears erect

When your cat has its ears erect on its head, but without any signs of tension, this is a sign thathe is completely relaxed. They can also pivot slightly forward, backward or sideways. Generally, he adopts this position of the ears when he is lying or sitting, and he feels calm and safe in his environment.

abyssinian cat
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2. Ears pricked forward

If your cat has ears erect on the head, but pointing forward, this is a sign thathe is curiousthat something interests him or that he is busy (he is hunting, for example). Its ears can also tilt to one side or the other to allow it to more precisely locate the object of its attention.

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Credits: martoli-03 / Pixabay

3. One ear erect facing forward and the other facing back or side

When your cat is listeningattentive to its environment, it certainly tends to have one ear erect on its head or forward, and one ear in another direction, facing backwards or tilted to the side.

He can adopt this position when he hears a noise behind him, for example. In this case, it does not worry him enough to push him to get up or turn around, but he prefers to ensure that there is really no danger by collecting more auditory information thanks to one from his ears.

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Crédits : Mariia Skovpen / iStock

4. Ears flattened back

If your cat suddenly places its ears backwards on its head, it is best to move away. In fact, it is a sign thathe is angry or afraid and that he may be ready to become aggressive. The flatter their ears are, the more frightened or anxious your cat is.

aggressive cat
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5. Ears lowered to the side

When your cat lowers its ears to the side and they then take the airplane wing shapeit is also the sign that something scares or annoys him. This means that he is both alert but also ready to act. In short, he warns his possible attacker that at the slightest threatening gesture, he may attack.

scared cat
Credits: Maryna Voronova / iStock