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Before cleaning your cat's ears for mites, you have to first determine if they are mites. Look for signs of your cat scratching its ears and shaking its head. Look inside the ears with a flashlight to see if there are any spots of black or brown waxy build up. If there is, then your cat has mites.
Mites are microscopic parasites that infest your cat's ear canal. The most common mites found in your cat's ears are called Otodectes. They are members of the Arachnid family. Mites are very contagious between other cats and dogs, so if one of your pets has mites, then assume that all of your pets do and treat them all.
If your pets ears have a strong, rancid, rotten smell, there is probably an infection and you should seek veterinary care for this problem.
There are mild mitecides that are available over the counter that will clear the mite infection. These treatments may take up to three to four weeks to clean the mites out of the cat's ears, so you have to remember to be patient.
The best treatment that I know of is Eardimite. This is available from your veterinarian's office, but these instructions should work with any over the counter treatment.
After you have determined that your cat has mites and you have a treatment, wrap your cat in a blanket or a towel. This should help prevent scratching. Squeeze the medication into your cat's ears (read the bottle for the exact dosage of drops, usually between 5-10 drops per ear), and gently massage the base of your cat's ear. This will move the treatment down your cat's ear canal and help loosen the build up from the mites. At this point, your cat will most likely shake its head, which will also help move the dirt and debris from the mites to the outer part of the ear. GENTLY, rub a cotton swab in the cat's ear, careful not to insert it into the ear canal, and remove any build up that you see. You have to take great care in doing this part of the procedure, because inserting a cotton swab into the ear canal can cause damage to the ear drum.
You will have to repeat this procedure one to two times a day for at least one week, depending on how bad your cat is infested with mites. If there are still signs of build up and your cat is still scratching, then you could continue this treatment for up to four weeks if necessary. Consult a veterinarian if the problem persists after this amount of time or if your cat's ears become red or irritated from the medication.
By following these guidelines, you will reduce the possibility of reinfestation of the mites. You have to be patient while working with your cat because they are not going to like having liquid put in their ears, so be prepared to be soaked with the medicine. In a few weeks, if you follow these instructions, then you should have a very happy, mite-free cat.
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