How Do You Check for Ear Mites in Cats?

How do you check for ear mites in cats?

Cecilia found a pair of orphaned kittens playing under a tree near her home. She looked all around, but could not find the mother. The kittens looked to be two or three months old. 

Cecilia picked them up and checked them over. She was dismayed to find a little black crawly on one of them. And then another. Well, it made sense. They’d been left out of doors, unattended. It was a miracle they were even alive.

Never having taken care of tiny kittens before, she called a friend to find out what to do. Her friend recommended a flea medicine, and Cecilia carefully applied it. 

The next day, she noted that the kittens were shaking their heads and scratching their ears. Her friend said that might be an indication of ear mites. She asked some other questions, and knew from Cecilia’s responses that the kittens had ear mites. “I’ll bring you some of the cortisone drops I use,” her friend said. “They should do the trick.”

Cecilia was amazed at how quickly the drops worked. The kittens stopped shaking their heads and scratching their ears, and the odor disappeared within minutes.

Would you know how to identify ear mites in cats? Or what to do about them?

• As with the kittens Cecilia found, shaking the head and scratching the ears can be signs of ear mites. If your cat is doing this, it’s a sign that you need to check further.
• To check for ear mites, gently wipe the ear area several times a day. A dark, crusty wax in the earshot resembles coffee grounds may mean ear mites. Spread a bit of the debris on a piece of dark paper and check for movement. If you’re unsure, you can give your veterinarian a sample of the ear wax to look at under a microscope.
• You can treat for ear mites at home by gently cleaning the ears and using a topical ear mite medicine in the ear canal. You have to treat all the cats in your household, or the mites will simply move to another cat. 

Cecilia’s kittens have grown into healthy cats. They love to play laser tag, and Cecilia takes good care of them, keeping a close watch to be aware of any changes in their behavior that might indicate infestations of fleas or ear mites.

If your cat has the symptoms covered above, chancea are he has ear mites. A popular treatment with which thousands of cat owners report excellent results is Pet King Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment.

Pawsitively,
Chiwah Carol Slater
The Pet Story Passionista
Founder, PetWrites.com, AWriteToKnow.com, NewHealingSolutions.com
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