What do cats signal with their ears? A cat has five basic ear signals. In a relaxed cat, the apertures of the ears point forward and slightly outward, as the animal quietly listens for interesting sounds over a wide range. When it hears something interesting, it switches to alert mode - its eares become fully eract and point directly forward. An agitated, frustrated or apprehensive cat often displays a nervous twitching of the ears. Fully flattened ears indicate a defensive cat. They are pressed tightly against the head as a way of protecting them during fights. An aggressive cat, hostile without being particularly frightened, rotates its ears so that the backs become visible from the front. The animal is saying: "I am ready to attack and you don't frighten me enough to flatten my ears protectively."