Different Parts of a Cat Ear

More than 20 muscles control each cat's ear, allowing Stella to move her ears independently of each other, up and down and side-to-side. Her hearing is excellent, ranging from 45 hertz to 60,000 hertz. If she's not responding to you, she may hear you but just doesn't care for what you have to say. Get her checked out to ensure she's not just a misanthrope.

  1. The Outer Ear

    • A cat's outer ear is called the pinna. It is upright, unless Stella's a Scottish fold. If she hears something interesting, a cat can rotate her outer ears to collect and amplify sound. According to Dr. Drew Weigner of the Cat Doctor in Atlanta, cats can determine within 3 inches the location of a sound that occurs about 3 feet away. That's extremely useful in locating a mouse she hears rustling around in the storage shed. The outer ear flap sends sound into the ear canal, which is long and narrow in cats and makes a 90 degree bend in the deeper parts of Stella's ear.

    Middle Ear

    • The eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane, is a thin membrane separating the outer ear canal from Stella's middle ear. The eardrum is easily damaged, particularly from careless cleaning or ear disease. The middle ear houses three small bones, the incus, the stapes and the malleus -- otherwise known as the anvil, stirrup and hammer. The cat has an air-filled cavity known as the bulla and a Eustachian tube that runs from the bulla to the back of Stella's mouth. Sound waves pass from the middle ear to the inner ear.

    Inner Ear

    • Stella's inner ear is the nerve center for her hearing and balance. As sound travels from her middle ear to her inner ear, the cochlea -- which resides in her inner ear -- transmits signals through the auditory nerves to her brain. Her brain distinguishes what she's hearing. Stella's inner ear also contains three fluid-filled semicircular canals. If Stella turns her head, the fluid in the canals moves, sending signals through the auditory nerves to her brain. The signals provide information to her brain about the movement of her head relative to gravity. This constant monitoring of her semicircular canals helps Stella maintain her balance.

    Healthy Ears

    • Ear mites, infections and blood blisters are the most common ear problems in cats. Symptoms to be on the lookout for include redness, odor, discharge, head shaking, ear rubbing or scratching. If it looks like Stella has coffee grounds in her ears, she may have ear mites. If Stella's ears don't look healthy or if she shows symptoms, or if you're interested in learning how to clean her ears, contact your vet. Never insert a cotton swab in a cat's ears; it can puncture her eardrum and push debris further into her ear, causing more damage.