Cats' Hearing

In the cat, hearing is exceptionally well developed, and the animal can pick up high-pitched squeaks and rustles, plus many sound quite inaudible to humans. Research has indicated that the hearing of the cat is superior even to that of the dog. The ear of the cat can be thought of in three sections. Outwardly we see the pinna, or ear flap. This is naturally erect and forward pointing, but is flexible enough to move in order to catch the slightest sounds and to determine accurately the direction of their source. Sound waves are picked up by the pinna which acts as a funnel leading down to the eardrum, stretched across the ear canal. The middle ear is made up of three small bones which transmit the sound waves to the inner ear. Here they are analysed and converted into nerve impulses which are passed along the acoustic nerve to the brain. The auditory cortex of the cat's brain decodes the signals and recognizes them by comparing them with sounds stored in the memory bank. This is how cats learn special sounds and may be taught to respond to their own names as well as to react to simple commands.