What Is The Proper Way On How To Clean Your Cat’s Ears?

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Dogs come to you when you call them. Cats take a message and get back to you. Or maybe, your cats will not come when they are called as they cannot hear you. This is perhaps the time that you get to learn how to clean your cat’s ears. Cat ear cleaning is actually an important part of the grooming and overall health of a cat. You may be able to avoid these serious problems by learning how to clean the ears of your cat by having a veterinarian or a professional groomer do it for you and your pet.

Quick Cat Anatomy      

Let us start with a quick review of the cat anatomy, so that you are familiar with all the parts of the ear of a cat.

  • Inner Ear. The part of the cat that is responsible for the maintenance of balance and equilibrium.
  • Ear Canal. This is a 2-inch tube-shaped organ, which leads to the eardrum. Their eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane. This is an essential part of the hearing of a cat. Moreover, the eardrum vibrates when it picks up the sound.
  • Outer Ear. This is also known as the earflap or pinna. This is the visible part of the ear of a cat and it’s commonly upright with a pointy tip. Some types are actually an exception, just like the Scottish Fold that has a floppy ear.

It is safe for us to assume that your cat is perhaps not going to look forward to its ear cleaning incident. Following a few steps on how to clean your cat’s ears can make this process much easier and quicker for you and your pet. You don’t need to clean the ears of your cat regularly. However, you need to check them every other month. Further, you also need to be aware of the different symptoms, which may indicate some problems with the health of your cat’s ears. One of the most common problems in cats is the parasitic infestation coming from ear mites. If you notice that your cat is scratching its ears unduly or shaking its head, this might be a sign of ear mites or some other type of ear infection. A visit to a vet might be essential.

Tools You’ll Need for Cat Ears Cleaning

Here are the tools or supplies that you need to clean your cat’s ears:

  • Large towel for wrapping a wriggling, anxious cat
  • A plastic eyedropper
  • Warm water
  • Cotton swabs or balls
  • Ear cleaning solution

Steps on How to Clean Your Cat’s Ears  

  • Before you begin to attempt in cleaning your cat’s ears, make sure that you have your veterinarian examine the ears of your cat first.
  • Clean your cat’s ears using de-waxing agent (ceruminolytic). Furthermore, you can find some ear cleaning solutions that are safe for cats in any pet stores.
  • Hold your cat in your lap wrapped in a towel.
  • Fold the ear back of the cat. This is for the ear canal to be easily accessible.
  • Release the cat for approximately 5 minutes. This gives him time to shake its own head.

Remember, the solution will be beneficial in loosening any wax on the ears so that you can remove it more easily. Further, you perhaps want to have any entries and exits closed. This is because the first reaction that your cat is going to have once you go and release them is to blastoff.

The next things to do are:

  • Wipe the innermost part of the ear of the cat using a cotton swab or guaze.
  • Do not use a Q-Tip or cotton tipped applicator. You might just puncture the eardrum of your cat with this kind of tool. Therefore, it is much better that you stick to the cotton swab.

If it is your first time to clean your cat’s ear, you need to be observant of the symptoms, which may indicate the infestation of ear mites or some other infections. There are some things to look for. This includes discharge, redness, red small black spots, which resemble coffee grounds, odor, head shaking or scratching. The normal ear was may be light brown in color. Whatever liquid discharge from its ears is serious and you need to contact your veterinarian immediately.

Facts About Ears of Cats

  • Chronic ear infection are greatly serious and may close the ear canal of the cat. In case this happens, it perhaps need a surgery.
  • The Otis Externa or external canal is where most of the infections happen in cats.
  • Persian cats are way more susceptible to ear infections than some other cat breed.
  • Dogs are more susceptible to ear infections than the cats.
  • There are hundreds of ear mite and ear cleaning products for cats. Most of which are available in pet stores and on the internet. Ask your veterinarian for some advice on what you should buy for your baby.

If you own an indoor cat, and it’s your only pet at home, it’ll be less possible to catch a transmissible infestation like ear mites. Further, it is still a great idea to clean your cat’s ears gently occasionally and be well aware of the signs and symptoms, which may i9ndicate the problem.

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