Your cat may be able to hear the sound of a pin falling to the ground, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to keep an eye on his ears time to time. Cats tend to groom themselves very often and take care of their personal hygiene themselves. This is why their ears are generally kept healthy and clean, and cats’ ears do not need to be cleaned frequently.
Once a week is a perfect periodicity to control the wax and waste generated by the ear.
Examine the outer ear
To examine your cat’s outer ear, you will need to look at the pinna. If you notice any kind of redness or swelling in the area, you should take the kitten to the vet to have his ears checked.
What is Pinna:
The Pinna is that kind of bag that the cat has: right on the edge of its ears. Well, if it is in good condition, it will present a layer of hair on its external surface without bald spots and the internal part will be clean and light pink.
It will also be necessary to make sure that the kitten does not present scabs or wounds or scratches on the ears.
Examine the Inner Ear
Now is the time to take a look at the inside of the furry’s ear. First of all, take the cat to a quiet room where there are no other pets and make sure the animal is calm. Then gently bend your ear so you can look into the ear canal. A healthy inner ear will be pale pink in color , will not smell bad, and will have little to no wax.
Again, look for scratches, wounds or scabs, as it can be a sign of disease. If you see that the cat’s ear is caked by excess wax or you detect a strange smell (it may indicate infection or otitis), you should take it to the vet to examine it.
How to Clean a Cat’s Ear
Once every two weeks we should clean our furry’s ear, both outside and inside. We tell you how to undertake this task.
To clean the outer part of the animal’s ear, we will use a towel moistened in warm water and a little of its shampoo. We will gently pass it through the hairy area of the ear and then we will remove the remains of shampoo that may have remained.
With the inside of the ear we will have to be extremely careful or we could cause serious problems for the cat. To clean this area, the veterinarian Ana Anglada from AnagaVets recommends using a specific ear cleaner for cats. We will start by opening the ear and pour a drop of the cleanser inside. Without letting go of the ear, to prevent it from shaking and expelling the liquid, we will massage the base. Once that is done, we will release it and let the animal shake its head, thus eliminating any earwax that may have accumulated.
Limit yourself to cleaning only the bottom of the cat’s ear, never the ear canal
Signs of ear problems
Faced with some of these signs, you should take the animal to the vet:
- He scratches and kicks his ear persistently.
- It is very sensitive when you touch it.
- Tilt or shake your head.
- Loses balance and becomes disoriented.
- His ear or canal is red.
- Your ears smell bad.
- Their ears secrete a black or yellowish substance.
- Accumulates dark brown wax.
- He has lost hearing.
- Your ear bleeds.
Ear disorders
Mites: They are very contagious common parasites among domestic animals. Signs of its existence include excessive itching of the ears and the production of waste substances that look like coffee grounds.
Ear infections: Ear infections in cats usually caused by yeast, bacteria or foreign waste substance that get trapped in the ear canal. They must be treated immediately because they are quite painful. It may cause allergies, hormonal abnormalities or hereditary disease.
Hematomas: This occurs when blood collects in the pinna . In many cases they are caused by an infection, by mites, fleas or by residues in the ear canal that cause the cat to scratch its ears or shake its head excessively.
