ear care for cats

Cats often hide their symptoms even when their ear infection is quite painful. If your furry friend’s ears are itchy, stinky, or have any kind of a discharge, or if they react negatively when you touch them, bring them in to see the vet.

Liquid ear cleaners should only be used at the direction of your veterinary team — too often can inflame ears, dry them out, and lead to increased wax production, all of which can then lead to ear infections.

You can wipe the entry to your cat’s ear canal with a soft tissue or cotton ball as often as once a week. But never use a cotton swab inside the ear! It’s just too easy to damage those delicate ear structures.

Are they acting normally? You’re probably okay. Are they prone to ear infections? Keep a special eye out for symptoms of ear infections, like discharge, bad ear smells, and pain. If you see anything worrisome, check with your veterinarian about your concerns.

Unfortunately, many bumps on pet ears can look alike, especially if your pet is too wiggly to give you a good look. Your best bet is to consult your veterinarian for next steps and help to put your mind at ease.

Our vets can help you find out what’s causing your pet’s ear issues, work with you on a treatment plan, and prescribe safe and effective medications to help treat your pet. We can even work with you to help prevent future problems! Make an appointment

For a step-by-step play on how to clean (and medicate, if prescribed by a vet) cat ears, check out the following page. Clean cat ears

Spotting black, gray, or brown gunk inside your cat’s ears? It could be a goopy mixture of dead ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) and ear wax. Live mites are difficult to spot with your naked eye because each tiny spider-like mite is no bigger than a pinhead. We recommend you skip self-diagnosing your cat’s ear issues and see your vet.

Please don’t put anything in your cat’s ears until you’ve spoken with your vet! Many “solutions” you find on the internet (like tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide) may not treat the actual problem and can cause even more irritation.

Once a vet has diagnosed your kitty with an ear infection, they’ll give you the full rundown on treatment. They’ll recommend an ear cleaner, prescribe appropriate medication, and walk you through how to clean your cat’s ears and apply their meds.