Signs & Symptoms of Cat Ear Mites

Ear mites are a very common parasitic infection that occurs in approximately 90 percent of all cats at some point in their lives, reports PetPlace.com. A contagious pest, ear mites may spread from cat to cat or from other furry mammals like dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, gerbils, mice and ferrets. Without treatment, ear mites can damage a cat's ears, making it important to recognize the signs and symptoms of ear mites in cats.

  1. Scratching

    • Ear mites cause severe itching for cats, making them shake their heads or scratch their ears with their feet. You may also see your cat rub its head against furniture, a scratching post or other objects in an attempt to alleviate the itching. How much scratching your cat does depends on the severity of the infection and may worsen as the infestation progresses, explains Doctors Foster and Smith. In some cats, the ear mites leave the ears and settle on other parts of the body, which may cause itching and scratching in the neck or tail area as well, according to PetPlace.com.

    Appearance

    • Because of the discomfort associated with the mites, your cat may flatten its ears or lay them back the way it does when angry or afraid, reports CatsofAustralia.com. Scratching around the ear area may also red, raw sores to form around or inside your cat's ears. If these sores bleed, you may see dried blood on your cats claws or around the ear area.

    Smell

    • If you get close to your cat's ears, you may smell a foul odor due to ear mite infections, reports PetPlace.com. This often occurs due to excessive amounts of wax building up in the ear canal as a result of the mites. The odor is sometimes described as smelling of strong cheese.

    Pain

    • If the ear mite infection begins to cause inflammation within its ears, your cat may begin to feel pain in addition to itching. Your cat may cry when it scratches or washes in the area or if you touch its ears, reports EarMitesinCats.org.

    Discharge

    • Another common sign of ear mite infection in cats is a black discharge that is visible inside of the cat's ears or on the fur around the ears. When viewed inside of the ear, the discharge resembles coffee grounds, reports Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. The discharge contains ear wax, inflammatory secretions like pus and ear mites along with dried blood that gives the substance its noticeable black appearance.

    Clinical Signs

    • In addition to the discharge, your cat's veterinarian will look inside of your cat's ear with a device known as an otoscope. The vet will be looking for living mites, which vaguely resemble pale crabs. You are unlikely to notice mites with the naked eye as their physical structures are microscopic, making them look like nothing more than tiny white dots.