You know, since he was a stray, it's quite possible he was abused. Our cat is like that.
She ~loves~ to be on your lap. But only on her terms. She has never liked being picked up by anyone. I still have the scars from her last Frontline treatment.
She was a stray and was living outside a law office with some dogs. But we think there must have been some abuse along the way.
He's probably had bad ear infections before, and a less-than-graceful treatment of it. He gets so afraid he scrambles like his life depends on it.