Pet Place says that up to 90 percent of cats get infected with ear mites during their lifetime. According to the Cat Site, these mites are especially common in stray kittens and cats. Felines adopted from an animal shelter or purchased at a pet store may also be infected because ear mites are very contagious and can be passed back and forth from dogs to cats. Fortunately, ear mites are easy to treat, and you can use a simple technique to clean your cat's ears before treatment.
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Diagnosis
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According to Pet Place, ear mites cause cats to scratch at their ears and shake their heads excessively. The ears may get inflamed and develop an unpleasant odor as the infection progresses. Eventually you will notice thick black discharge coming from the ears, and the cat will get sores from its continual scratching. If you see these symptoms, Pet Place says your cat most likely has ear mites. However, the same symptoms can occur with a yeast infection, so you should bring your pet to a veterinarian. The vet can examine an ear swab under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.
Ear Cleaning
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If your cat has a severe ear mite infestation, you may need to have its ears cleaned before it can be treated. According to the Cat Site, this is usually accomplished by wetting a small piece of cotton with cleaning solution and wiping the outer part of the ear. The ear folds can be cleaned with a cotton swab, but the swab should never be put into the ear canal. If you need to clean your cat's ears at home, you can do it in this same way. In the worst cases, the vet may need to sedate the cat and thoroughly flush out its ears before its initial treatment. Afterwards, you will be able to clean the ears using the swabbing procedure.
Treatment
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Veterinarians usually treat ear mite infections with topically applied medication. Pet Place says the doctor might apply milbemycin or ivermectin to the cat during your visit. Alternately, he may have you perform at-home treatment with thiabendazole, which is put into the ears; or selamectin, which is applied between the cat's shoulder blades. If you use thiabendazole, you will need to hold your cat still with one hand while you administer the treatment with your other hand. Once you squirt the medication into the ear, the Cat Site says your pet will probably try to shake its head. Hold it firmly to prevent this, and fold the ear flap over to keep the medication inside the ear. Gently rub the area to help it go as deep as possible into the canal.
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