Ear mites?

The symptoms of cat ear mites can vary from cat to cat.

Some animals may be more sensitive to the mites and so show a more severe reaction to them.

However the most common symptoms are:

Excessive ear wax.

Scratching and itching around the ear.

Wax dark in colour and has a strong odour.

Head shaking.

If you suspect that your cat does have ear mites but you cannot see them, it is best to take them to the vets who will use a special equipment to view the tiny critters.

It is best to make sure that the symptoms are caused by mites and not another illness as the wrong diagnosis and treatment will make the situation worse.

Treatment

Once diagnosed cat ear mites must be killed quickly before they cause infection and further harm to cat health.

The vet will thoroughly and gently clean the ear of any discharge and earwax. This will remove some of the mites who are living amongst it and also allow the medication to reach all parts of the ear.

Eardrops will be recommended by your vet and will probably be required to be given to your sick cat for a period of three weeks.

Also treat the cat’s fur with a flea powder to kill off any eggs which might be stuck to the fur.

If you have other pets it might be a good idea to get them checked as well.

Thoroughly clean and wash any areas your cat usually sits or sleeps and a good vacuuming of all carpets might be good precaution.

Deafness

Some cats are born deaf, most commonly white cats with blue eyes. Some cats with different coloured eyes, say one blue the other brown may suffer from deafness on one side only.
Cats that are completely deaf can be difficult to train and for their own safety should be kept indoors.

They won’t be alerted to dangers such as traffic noises and other cats.

Similarly, if you notice your elderly cat suddenly deciding that it’s ok to sit in the road, it may have become too deaf to hear traffic. It may be time to keep them inside as well.

If you do have to keep a cat in doors for its own safety, remember to make sure that they have plenty of stimulus and company. This will ensure that they continue to have a happy life.