Healthy Cat Ears: 6 Vet-Verified Care Tips
In this article
Like dogs, cats need a regular grooming routine to stay healthy. Brushing your cat is key, especially if they have long hair, but did you know you should also check your cat’s ears regularly?
This is to prevent ear infections, which can lead to other conditions if they aren’t treated properly. Here are five tips on how to care for your cat’s ears to keep them healthy.
The 6 Tips to Care for Your Cat’s Ears
1. Examine Their Ears Frequently
Every few days, visually inspect your cat’s ears for any signs of trouble. Check the outside of the ears for scabs, scratches, redness, or patchy fur. The outer ear, or pinna, should be clean and free of swelling, redness, discharge, or visible injuries.
Look into the ear canal and check for earwax, discharge, or swelling. Watch for signs that your cat’s ears are itchy or painful. These include shaking the head, head tilting, scratching, or vocalizing.
2. Use Your Nose
Healthy cat ears should never have an odor. When you look at your cat’s ears, also give them a quick sniff test. If you notice a foul or yeasty smell coming from your kitty’s ears, they could be dealing with an ear infection.
You can make an appointment with your veterinarian to confirm this condition. Ear infections can be quite painful and don’t get better without treatment. Catching the infections early can make the treatment easier and more successful.
3. Don’t Over-Clean the Ears
As confusing as it sounds, over-cleaning your cat’s ears can make them more vulnerable to infection. Most of the time, cat ears are naturally clean without our help. Cleaning the ears when they aren’t dirty adds moisture into the ear canal, which becomes a perfect breeding ground for yeast and bacteria.
Cleaning your cat’s ears once a month and drying afterwards should be sufficient to keep them clean and healthy. If you are needing to clean them more frequently, especially if discharge builds up after only a few days, see a veterinarian, as the ears may be infected.
4. Use the Right Cleaner
If you need to clean your cat’s ears, it’s essential to choose the right products to prevent more problems. Look for a feline ear cleaner, which is available over the counter or from your veterinarian.
Avoid using water, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide since they can be irritating to the ear. They can also be painful if the ear is swollen or ulcerated. In addition to a pet-safe cleaner, you’ll need cotton balls or gauze to wipe the ear. Don’t use Q-tips to clean your cat’s ears.
5. Clean Before Medicating
If your cat is diagnosed with an ear infection, your vet may prescribe a course of topical medication to treat the condition. You may also be instructed to clean your cat’s ears more frequently.
6. Prevent Ear Mites
Ear mites are one of the most common causes of ear problems in cats, and lead to itching and secondary infections. Luckily they are easily prevented with topical preventatives, as long as all pets in the house are up to date with treatment, the problem is easily solved.
How Do I Clean My Cat’s Ears?
We discussed the supplies you need for cleaning your cat’s ears earlier (cleaner, cotton balls, gauze,) but how do you actually get the job done?
Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Gentle Care For All Pets - Infused with moisturizing hypoallergenic ingredients & enriched with cucumber & aloe fragrance for healthier fur, coat & skin, the ultimate dog and cat cleaning wipes
- Deep Cleans From Head to Tail - Tackle the toughest dirt & messes with our extra strong pet wipes for dogs, cats and other pets while being gentle on sensitive areas like the face, ears, butt & paws
- Freshness On The Go - Each dog grooming wipes pack contains 30 counts of premium dog wipes that leaves your pets fresh. Packed in resealable packaging, keeping the cat wipes fresh & ready whenever
Cleaning your cat's sensitive areas can be tricky, but high-quality wet wipes can make it much easier. Try a natural, hypoallergenic option like Hepper's Wash Wipes, made with moisturizing ingredients and specifically designed to gently clean your cat's skin and fur. These wipes are as convenient as they are effective!
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Conclusion
Keeping your cat’s ears healthy isn’t a complicated process, but it requires you to pay attention. You can follow the five tips in this article to care for your cat’s ears as part of a regular grooming routine. Frequent ear inspections should help you catch any brewing infections early. If you notice signs of an ear infection, take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Sources
Featured Image Credit: NONGASIMO, Shutterstock
Expert cat care, straight to your inbox
News, insights, and useful advice, delivered to you.
No spam — unsubscribe anytime.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy & Cookies Policy.
How useful was this post?
Click a star to rate. You can leave written feedback afterwards. (We read all feedback.)
Elizabeth Gray is a lifelong lover of all creatures great and small. She got her first cat at 5 years old and at 14, she started working for her local veterinarian. Elizabeth spent more than 20 years working as a veterinary nurse before stepping away to become a stay-at-home mom to her daughter. Now, she is excited to share her hard-earned knowledge (literally--she has scars) with our readers. Elizabeth lives in Iowa with her family, including her two fur kids, Linnard, a husky mix and Algernon, the worldʻs most patient cat. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching all sports, and spending time outdoors with her family.
