How to Treat Cat Mites

On a cat, mites thrive in the ears because they can provide a dirty, dark and moist environment. Mites can also live outside of the ears on a cat, hiding in its hair. Ear mites, when left untreated, can become an infection that can be serious enough to rupture an ear drum, causing permanent damage in the cat.

Things You'll Need

  • Liquid dish soap
  • Cotton balls
  • Ear mite treatment
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Instructions

    • 1

      Combine warm water and liquid dish soap to create a cleaning mixture for the cat's ears. Milder dish soaps are better, and avoid anything containing bleach or harsh chemicals.

    • 2

      Dip clean cotton balls in the dish soap mixture and use them to thoroughly clean out the cat's ears. Swab the ears thoroughly with the mixture, and then rub the ears together to loosen the earwax and gunk left behind by the ear mites.

    • 3

      Wipe the ears clean with dry cotton balls. Make sure that you remove all traces of the dish soap mixture from the ears, along with as much gunk as possible.

    • 4

      Apply ear mite medication according to the manufacturer instructions on the package. Place the medication in the ear, then massage the base of the ear to work the medication into the skin on the inside of the ear. It's important to work the medicine in as well as you can, because your cat will likely try to shake it out.

    • 5

      Continue the ear mite medicating process daily for an additional two days for the most effective treatment.

    • 6

      Give the medicine a week to kill the mites and eggs in the ears before restarting the treatment.

    • 7

      Repeat the process again, beginning with cleaning the ears and then applying the treatment over a period of two days. Repeat this process once more for full effectiveness.