Cat Ear Care Tips: Essential Guide for Clean Ears

Last Updated on 01 June 2024, Care Kitties

Cat ear care is often overlooked by cat owners. But this needs to be handled like any other body part. Regular inspection and gentle cleaning are essential for preventing ear issues in cats. Ear infections are very painful for cats. It can lead to constant migraines and headaches for the cat. Along with that, ear infections and mites can make a cat’s and your life hell. Ear cleaning can be an essential part of your cat’s hygiene needs if they are prone to wax buildup and ear infections,” said Schechter, a professional veterinarian. So it is very important to regularly take care of your cat’s ears. In this article, we will share the expert recommended steps and tips for proper care of your cat ears.

Cat Ear Care Preparation Steps:

Start early and make it comfortable: Cats do not like to be restrained. So cleaning your cat’s ear can be a painful step for you. So start the cleaning of your cat’s ears early and make it comfortable with the cat cleaning process.

Train it by providing positive reinforcement: Cats mostly get trained by positive reinforcement. They like the give-and-provide formula. So you have to provide them with treats as a reward throughout and after the ear cleaning process.

Choose a location: Cats do not like changes in their routines. So first of all, choose a quiet and peaceful environment in which your cat is comfortable and knows well. Whenever you clean your cat, use the same location every time. So the cat will be trained well and understand that this place is for cleaning the ears.

Cat Ear Care: Materials Needed for Safe Cleaning:

Ear Cleaner: It is highly recommended that you use an ear cleaner that has been recommended by a veterinarian.
Cotton Ball/Gauze
Towels
Treats

Cat Ear Care: Importance of Regular Checkups:

Visual Check: You should checkup at least once a week. Before you start the cleaning process, you should find out if the cat’s ears have any kind of redness, swelling, discharge, foul smell or ear wax. Note any abnormalities. If you think it is too abnormal, you will need to take the cat to the vet.

Behavioural observation: if you see your cat scratching, head shaking, or tilting of the head too much, this also means that the ear of the cat is very unclean or, in a severe case, the ears have some kind of infection.

Cat Ear Care: Step-by-Step Cleaning Process:

Ear Flap Lift: Pick up your kitty in your left arm so you are holding its back in the palm of your left hand, and then take the tip of your right hand and pull your cat’s ear up slightly.

Administer Cleaner: Pour a few drops of the ear cleaner into the ear hole as it is recommended on the label on the cleaner bottle.

Massage: Rub the palm of the hand against the outside of the ear, at the base, for approximately half a minute. This makes use of the ring to mobilize the debris and wax inside the ear canal for the cleaner to easily collect.

Natural Shaking: Let your cat shake its head. This action enables the removal of wastes such as debris and wax, among others, that may be trapped deep in the ear canal.

Wiping Debris: Wash away the loosened debris with the use of a damp cotton swab or gauze that should be rubbed on the outer ear. Do not attempt to place anything bulky or large into the ear, like ear buds, since this may push the blockage further into the ear canal.

Check for Residual Dirt: Make absolutely sure that as much of the dirt and wax as you can see is gotten rid of from the part of the ear that is visible.

Rewarding: Make sure to give your cat some treats and praise so that future cleanings do not stress the cat out.

Post-Clean Check: Check the ear once more to make sure it looks visually clean without any particles of matter in it. Be on the lookout for any inflammation or skin breakouts in the area.

Professional Help: Even after cleaning the ear regularly, if you see that the ear problems are very persistent, you need to seek help from a professional caregiver or a vet. They will thoroughly check the ear of the cat and find out if any medical help is needed or not.

Preventative Steps:

Keep the house clean: Cat ear problems are mostly connected with the mites. Mites are often produced by unclean bedding and the house. So make sure to keep the cat’s living area and bedding cleaner.

Regular grooming sessions: Do regular grooming sessions with your cat to find out any potential problems.

I hope this article has come in handy for you to properly check and clean your cat’s ears.