Feline Ear Care:

Cat ear care is essential as part of a cat general health care regimen but can be problematic if the cat is not used to it.



A cat’s ears must necessarily be cleaned once a weak in order to prevent possible infections. There are several commercially available products to clean a cat’s ears and you can consult your veterinarian over the feasibility of such a product. Pour a few drops of the liquid into the cat’s ear canal and wait for a minute or two before gently rubbing the outside base portion of the ear with your fingers.



Take care to not nick its ears with your nails and this rubbing should help loosen out the wax and any accumulated dirt. Take a small cotton swab and clean out the ear till the ear is clean but do not delve deep into the canal as it can be extremely painful and the cat may not allow you to proceed further. It may also damage the ear and affect its hearing if you are not careful.



If your cat’s ear has been neglected so or if it is prone to such problems, you may have to repeat this procedure twice a day for a week or two. And in case commercial ear cleaners for cats are unavailable, you may use a little olive oil, but take care to not let it trickle into the ear.

Cats have an acute sense of hearing and a lot of cat ear problems arise when they are given a bath and water enters their ears. Hence, before giving it a bath, you can plug its ears with cotton swabs. Cats get into a lot of fights and the ear seems to be the primary zone of trauma. Wounds to the ear flap must be carefully scrutinized and if the blood has dried up, you can mix a little hydrogen peroxide and water in a 1:2 ratio and gently dab onto the ear using a wad of cotton. An antibiotic ointment should take care of any possible infection although you must consult the veterinarian if the injury is severe. Other cat ear infections include flea infestations, ring worm attacks, fungal and bacterial infections. If the ear smells foul, the discharge is yellowish or black, if the cat scratches its ears more than usual and shakes it as if trying to get rid of dirt and an examination reveals any reddish swelling that is painful to the touch, consult your local veterinarian immediately. These are common symptoms of cat ear infections.