Watching my cat at the vet's office made me see his hiding differently
He was under a chair, but his ears were forward, not flat, and he was watching everything. Now I know he's just curious, not scared, when he does that at home. How do you tell the difference between a cat's fear and their interest?
You said flat ears are a "solid sign of fear" but is it always that deep? My cat flattens his ears when I open a can of tuna. He's not scared of the can, he's just super focused on getting the food. Maybe it's just a strong feeling, not always terror. We read so much into every little twitch.