GERONIMO, @daggerplume!
CAT ears? On a person? Like, this wasn’t a headband or anything? Now, there’s not something you see on an average Thursday! And this is coming from a Time-travelling ALIEN. ❝Hey, I like your ears!❞ The Doctor compliments, like complimenting ears specifically is considered socially acceptable. ...is it? Maybe? He doesn’t know.
❝Do you get many people asking if you can touch them? Errr... the ears, I mean.❞
❝... I shouldn’t be among those hypothetical people if I want to keep my good health, huh?❞ That’s... good thinking, Doctor. Sometimes the Doctor has self-preservation instincts. ONLY SOMETIMES though. Otherwise he throws all caution to the wind, because hey, he’s a 900+ year old alien! What could possibly go wrong.