Ear mites in cats

Ear mites in cats is a very common ailment, and very difficult to eradicate. When we got our kitten Thomas. He had a bad case of ear mites. By the way Thomas is the black-and-white cat that appears on our website logo.

We got Thomas at about eight weeks of age and yes ear mites in kittens is also common. He was the runt of the litter and was one of the last kittens sold.

His owner kept all the cats outside in a very dirty and sandy lot, where they picked up ear mites and flees. We could see that his ears were black with ear mite waist, and that he had a real problem with his ears. We took him straight to the vet, where he was examined.

The veterinarian gave Thomas a treatment of a liquid that would kill the mites. He then gave us a prescription to take home and administer regularly.

This was not a good start to our relationship with our new kitten, but it was in his own best interest. And we kept after the problem until the ear mites were eradicated.

Ear mites in cats

Many cats play hosts to this microscopic ear parasite without any ill effects. What happens is they will increase in number to the point where they will cause inflammation and irritation of the ears.

It is a good idea to examine your cat’s ears on a regular basis. If you find very dark brown earwax, collecting on the shell of the ear, this is most likely caused by ear mites.

This dark brown wax is unfortunately the excrement of the microscopic pest. Another sign of infection is if the cat is persistently scratching at its ears or shaking its head from side to side. This common ear bug condition is definitely treatable at home with ear drops.

Treating ear mites in cats

The standard treatment is to administer ear drops twice a day. Some cats will hate this treatment. You may have to get tough with your cat and forcibly hold your cat down while you administer these drops.

It is never fun to do something to your cat that he doesn't like. But sometimes you have no choice. If you do not follow the twice-daily application of the ear drops for the prescribed period of time, the ear mites will recover and continue to populate the ear and ear canal.

So be tough and be vigilant and follow the schedule and the length of time for the treatment recommended by your veterinarian.

Our boy Thomas is now rid of his ear mites, and he no longer paws at his ears or shakes his head and is much happier. Yes he hated every treatment of the medicine drops but treating ear mites in cats is definitely a tough love situation.

Checking for ear mites in Thomas has gone from a once a week to a once a month, regular exam. Thomas has become very a custom to this regular exam, and now even enjoys the extra attention.

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