Why Do Cats Have Pockets On Their Ears?

2025 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-23 12:41

Why do cats need "pockets" on their ears

All cats have specific skin folds on their ears, at their very base on the outside. These are the so-called "pockets". Nature never creates anything for nothing. So what are these folds for the mustachioed ones for?

What is the role of the "pockets" on the ears

Until now, scientists do not have a reasonable opinion why cats have specific folds on their ears. There are only different assumptions based on long-term observations of these animals.

Sound trap

One of the common hypotheses says that the "pockets" on the ears serve as a kind of catcher of sound waves. Their location on the outer edge of the auricle is exactly what it is for. With the help of folds, sound is more accurately directed to the inner ear, where it is analyzed. The theory is very plausible, because cats hear even those rustles that the human ear cannot distinguish.

The stock of maneuverability of the auricle

According to another version, the folds in the ear allow the cat to twist this organ with a greater amplitude, which can reach 180 degrees. This allows the animal to better pick up sounds coming from different directions, which primarily serves the safety of the animal.

Valve

Another version is that very sensitive nerve receptors are hidden under the thin folds of the "pocket". As soon as an external stimulus acts on them, the ear closes (or sometimes the cat just shakes it, trying to remove the annoying factor).

A cat's ears can reflexively snap shut if exposed to an external stimulus

Cats have been in my house for most of my life. Of course, the experience of observing their behavior is rather big. Sometimes you can see the following picture: a cat is sleeping, and an annoying fly is trying to land on its ear. As soon as the fly flies close to the ear, it shakes itself. Maybe, indeed, this is due to the "pocket" that catches the approach of a foreign object and protects this important organ from intrusions.

Remains of undeveloped gills

This theory is based on the similarity of the embryos of mammals and aquatic vertebrates, which at one of the stages of development have common structural features, namely, the gill sacs. Naturally, cats do not need them, therefore, as a result of further development, they are transformed into folds in the ear. It is a rudimentary element, that is, it does not play any role in the life of the animal. True, this version, no matter how interesting it may sound, has not yet been confirmed by any research.

All vertebrates at a certain stage of development have gill sacs (in the photo - №4)

Regardless of the true purpose of the folds on the ears of a cat, they require care, as does the entire outer part of the ear. They should be wiped with a damp cotton pad during hygiene procedures, but you should not get inside the "pocket".

What other animals have "pockets" on their ears

Cats are not the only creatures with such an interesting outer ear structure. Similar "pockets" are found in bats, foxes, and some dog breeds. There is also no clarity about their purpose.

Photo gallery: animals with folds on the auricle, like cats

Foxes have excellent hearing, detecting mouse movements under a thick layer of snow

The bat's hearing is unique, it distinguishes overlapping sounds, the difference between which is 2 millionth of a second

A dog, like a cat, can control ear movements using the ear muscles.

Since animals with the same "pockets" on their ears as cats have developed hearing, the theory that these folds are designed to capture and redirect sound waves into the inner ear can be considered the closest to the truth. In fact, nature is hardly mistaken, it is just that people still cannot figure out what she has in mind, creating "pockets" on the ears of cats.