Background The aim of the present study was to identify the varieties of sensory and motor nerve endings in cat extraocular muscles. Methods Sensory terminals were identify by injecting neuronal tracers (fast blue, biocytin, or peroxidase) into the trigeminal ganglion, which contains the sensory cells innervating the eye muscles. Motor terminals were identified by injections of horseradish peroxidase or DiI, a fluorescent carbocyanin dye, into either the oculomotor nerve or the IIIrd nuclei. Results Injections into the trigeminal ganglion anterogradely labelled three types of sensory nerve endings for each neuronal tracer used: (1) the well‐known “palisade” endings at the myotendinous junction of each extraocular muscle; (2) “compact” endings consisting of a dense terminal arborization extending up to 60 μm in length on striated muscle fibres 10‐15 μm in diameter; and (3) “complex” endings on muscle fibres 15‐20 μm in diamter. The complex ending issued from multiple collateral branches of the parent nerve fibre, which stretched and turned around the muscle fibre and gave off numerous terminal varicosities over a distance of about 140 μm. The sensory complex and compact endings presented strong similarities with some “atypical muscle spindles” previously described. In addition to the classic motor “plate” and “grape,” we found evidence for the existence of motor “spiral” endings with each tracer. Conclusions The sensory nature of the palisade endings was demonstrated, and two other types of sensory terminals were identified and described. The spiral nerve terminals were demonstrated to be motor in nature, and a possible function in the microsaccadic movements associated with fixation is suggested. Anat. Rec. 248:566‐575, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.