Ear mites are a common cause of ear distress and even infection in cats. They are usually picked up from outside or from other infected cats. If a cat has ear mites, it will continuously shake its head and scratch at its ears. Treatment isn't always pleasant, but you should deal with your cat's ear mites immediately in order to avoid infection and discomfort.
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Treat the Ears
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Since the ear mites first and foremost affect the cat's ears, the ears should be treated first. Since ear mites live on the surface of feline ears, the ears may be red and swollen or have wax buildup or tiny black spots. To clean the ear out and soothe the inflammation, use a cotton ball to swab room temperature vegetable oil onto the surface of the cat's ear. Then, massage the ear in order to coat the surface. Never use a cotton swab and never go far into the ear. To ease the itching and eradicate the mites, use a cotton ball to apply psorinum or sulfur to the surface of the cat's ear. After application, the cat will probably shake its head and perhaps paw at its ears. This is okay, because the cat is just getting out the excess liquid. Do this two-part treatment every few days for about six weeks in order to get the mites out of the cat's ear.
Treat the Mites
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Like cats that have been infested with fleas, cats that have had mites may have them in their hair coats and in other places in their environment as well as in their ears. While you're treating the cat's ears for mites, also give the cat a bath to wash any mites out of the cat's hair coat. Uses a gentle shampoo specially formulated for cats and make sure to rinse all of the shampoo out to avoid further irritation.
Treat the Environment
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Change the cat's litter, bedding, vacuum your house and clean any surfaces the cat has been in contact with. You may need to do this several times during treatment because the first treatment may not kill all of the ear mites. Even though this is a time consuming step, it is important, because if ear mites are living in the cat's environment, they will be able to re-infest the cat's ears. Thoroughly clean the cat's environment about once a week during home treatment. If, after home treatment, the cat's condition doesn't improve or gets worse, see your veterinarian.
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