A cat's sense of hearing is remarkably superior to that of humans. It ranges from 45 to 64,000hz, compared to 64-23,000hz in humans.

This means that cats can hear sounds we can't hear on both ends of the spectrum, particularly the higher end.

Cats' ears are uniquely designed to draw sound into the ear canal, which enables them to hear sounds like a mouse rustling in the brush 30 feet away. By the same token, their ears are more sensitive to higher amplitude of sound.

Like a sophisticated satellite dish turning to pick up a signal, the cat's external ear, or pinna, rotates up to 180 degrees to locate and identify even the faintest of squeaks, peeps or rustling noises. They also can detect the tiniest variances in sound, distinguishing differences of as little as one-tenth of a tone, which helps them identify the type and size of the prey emitting the noise. Mice have no chance against this formidable hunting weapon!

This heightened sense of hearing is especially important in wildcats, which depend on hunting for survival. It also enables wild and domestic feline mothers to hear faint squeals of distress from their cubs or kittens when they stray too far away.

A cat up to three feet away from the origin of a sound can pinpoint its location to within a few inches in a mere six one-hundredths of a second. Cats also can hear sounds at great distances — four or five times farther away than humans. Unless we are talking about men who hear the sound of washing up and run away to their shed!