We’ve learned through popular pop culture references that hygiene and cats don’t mix very well. However, don’t get stuck on the tabu and learn to properly groom your kitty friend.
Weekly, check your cat’s ears for wax and infection to keep those sensitive sonar detectors attentive to every move. Make sure your cat is alone, then fold each ear back and gaze down into the canal. Whether the cleaning can be done by you or by a veterinarian is based on the inspection.
How To Clean A Cat’s Ears
During kittenhood, copy-cat behavior is used to teach grooming. Kittens learn to lick themselves at a young age, and by the time they’re weaned, they’re self-bathing. Cats have sensitive ears, which can lead to a range of ear disorders all over the ear.
When addressing cat ear cleaning, we need to make sure we are fully prepared. Therefore, here are the supplies needed:
Cleaning Supplies
Before initiating the cleaning process, make sure you have the following supplies within arms reach:
- Pads made of cotton
- Cleaning solution (designed exclusively for cleaning the ears of cats)
- ZYMOX Enzymatic Ear Solution – Ear care for dogs and cats – soothes ear infections, redness, and inflammation for pets of all ages
- If required, a towel or blanket to wrap around your cat.
Now that you got your supplies, here are the steps for cleaning your cat’s ears;
Steps To Cleaning Your Cat’s Ear
- Hold your cat in your lap while sitting in a comfortable position. Speak to your cat in a gentle, calming tone and lavish the kitty with affectionate pets. Maintain this throughout the cleaning and after that to ensure that they link it with positive encounters.
- Grab the tip of their ear flap and pull it back gently. Examine your cat’s ears for debris, ear mites (which appear as small brown or red spots), irritation, discharge, or wax buildup.
(Be on the lookout for foul odors and signs of infection such as lumps, scrapes, and sores.) If any of these are present, contact your veterinarian right away for treatment recommendations before cleaning.
- Hold the ear cleaning bottle next to your cat’s ear, but do not insert the bottle tip into the ear. Squeeze a little ear cleaner into your cat’s ear. Fill the ear canal with enough cleanser to fill it.
If the tip comes into contact with your cat’s ear, cleanse it with an alcohol wipe before using it.
- With one hand, grasp the ear flap and the other, softly massage the base of the ear below the ear entrance for about 30 seconds—especially the bottom, to ensure that the cleaner completely covers the ear.
- Give your cat the chance to shake her head. When the cleaner comes in, your kitty will shake their head, and the cleaner will most likely splash on their fur. That action permits any leftover ear cleaning solution and dirt from the ear canal to drain into the ear’s outer aperture.
- Wipe the debris out of your cat’s ear using a cotton pad. Never put anything inside your kitty’s ear canal, including your finger.
Treats should be given to your cat, and if your cat is resistant or stressed, try again later.
If all these steps were followed with the proper precaution, you should have cleaned your cat’s ear successfully. Based on the outcome of such a cleaning process, you could find your kitty has diseases.
The most prevalent cause of ear infections in cats is ear mites. Here’s how to treat it;
Treating Ear Mites
Ear mites are microscopic parasitic creatures that are known to appear in both cats and dogs. They resemble tiny white spots and are hardly visible to the naked eye. Ear mites sustain on ear wax and skin oils and dwell on the skin of the ear canal.
Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian in case you see behaviors like head shaking or ear rubbing. The only method to diagnose ear mites is for your veterinarian to swab a swab of the discharge within the ears and search for mites under a microscope,” says a veterinarian.
The severity of the illness will determine the therapy and whether or not there is a bacterial infection or a perforated eardrum.
Because the mites feed on the wax in your cat’s ear canal, keep it clean and follow your veterinarian’s instructions.
Preventing Ear Issues
The ears of a healthy cat are pink, devoid of wax and other dirt, and odorless.
While you won’t prevent your cat from ever acquiring an ear infection, you can prevent a disease from becoming maligned if you inspect its ears frequently.
Tips And Tricks To Make It Easier
- Check both of their ears.
- Be on the lookout for signs of an ear infection, such as discharge or a weird odor.
- The safest bet is to clean your cat’s ear while they are comfortable, such as when they’re dozing on the couch or after you groom them, as this will make the job much less stressful for both of you.
- Keep an eye on your cat’s progress; if they’ve recently gotten rid of an infected ear or are having trouble with one, make sure you keep note of how it’s progressing to see if it becomes better or worse.
- Have a second person hold your cat as you wipe her ears, so she doesn’t move.
- Before allowing your cat to shake its head, make sure you close your eyes and lips.
Cat Ear Cleaning Products
Here’s a list of the best-rated cat cleaning products;
- VetWELL Ear Cleaner for Dogs and Cats – Veterinarian formulated to gently clean, deodorize, acidify and dry your pet’s ears. Stops itching, scratching, head shaking, and irritation by removing wax, fluid, dirt, and debris.
- Petpost | Pet Ear Cleaner Wipes for Dogs and Cats – GETTING TO YOUR CATS EARS IS EASY WITH LUXURIOUSLY SOFT COTTON WIPES. Bye-bye, measuring capfuls, spilled solution, low-cost pads, and grumpy kittens!
- Virbac EPIOTIC Advanced Ear Cleanser, Vet-Recommended For Dogs and Cats – Microbial action is prevented by using a non-irritating solution to scrub sensitive ears regularly and remove debris extra wax from the ear canal while also drying it.
- Hzran Dog Ear Cleaner, Ear Cleaner for Small Dog and Cat – Ultra-absorbent and medium size designed for the health care of dog and cat ears.
- MISTER BEN’S Original Big Bamboo Buds – Premium long cotton buds that are perfectly sized for the care of the ears of dogs, cats, and other small pets.
Always consult your veterinarian to confirm a diagnosis and make sure you’re giving your cat the best therapy possible. Keep in mind that using ear cleansing solutions or ear drops incorrectly can permanently harm your cat’s hearing.
Conclusion
Every cat has its own unique personality; therefore, you shouldn’t assume all the instructions will flow well to your cat’s behavior, and that’s ok.
Base the cleaning method and repetition on your cat’s response.
Nevertheless, since there is no way to damage the ear tissue while cleaning it, you still want to ensure that you preserve a stress-free experience for your feline friend.
Cats have become loved and ongoing presences in family homes nowadays. That’s why it is so important to thoroughly educate yourself on their grooming and maintenance needs to ensure you give your kitty friend a long-lasting healthy life.
Shawn Manaher is a serial entrepreneur but when he isn’t working, he loves dogs. He’s owned different pets over the years, and always gives a part of his heart to each pet.
