How to Identify and Clean the Earmites of Cats

These little parasites are maddening for animals, causing intense itching and often leading to ear infections if left untreated.

  • Ear mites can be very irritating and cause their ears to become very itchy. You may notice areas around the outside of the ear, where your cat has scratched away the fur or created minor skin irritations. Your cat may also shake his head before or after scratching in an attempt to free himself from the mites.
  • Gently rub the outside of the lower ear along the ear canal. This may prompt your cat’s automatic scratch response. This response indicates the presence of ear mites. It is rare that the automatic scratch response will be activated in cats, which do not have ear mites.

3.            Examine your cat’s ears by gently folding the outer ear back and looking inside with a flashlight. If you observe a fine granular substance, then chances are there that your cat has ear mites. To check for the presence of mites, simply swab the ear with a cotton swab and observe it under a microscope or magnifying glass. The mites will appear as tiny white specks that may be moving. Ears are sensitive and many cats don’t like your hands in their ears.

  • Clean the ears to provide immediate relief from the effects of an ear mite infestation by dropping a few drops of vegetable or olive oil into the ears. Be sure this is at room temperature and use an eye dropper to put in a few drops of oil. Hold the cat firmly and immediately rub the outside of the ear to work the oil in. Your cat’s first instinct is to shake his head. Holding him close and rubbing gently will prevent him from shaking the oil free before it has a chance to loosen mite debris. Clean the residue with a clean cotton ball or swab, but do not insert the swab into the ear canal because you may damage your cat’s ear.
  • Treat the ears to kill off ear mites with a mixture of 1/2 ounce almond oil and 400 IU’s of vitamin E. Be sure the mixture is at room temperature. Apply the mixture to each ear. Massage the ears to distribute the oil. Clean the excess oil away with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for one week and then let them rest for 3 days. Repeat the process as necessary.