The cat is an animal very attentive to personal hygiene and can also partly clean behind the ear. But sometimes she needs the help of man to clean the inside of her ears. Here’s how to do it.
Anyone who owns a cat knows that cat dedicates a lot of time to grooming during the day. However, sometimes the feline needs human help to clean the inner part of the ear. So how do you clean your cat’s ears? Here are some tips on the procedure to follow and on what not to do absolutely to avoid cat health problems.
How the ear is made and how to clean the cat’s ears
The cat’s ear is made up of three parts: the external part, the visible one that generally ends in a point; the ear canal leading to the eardrum and the inner ear through which sound reaches the acoustic nerve.
Cleaning the ears of Kitty is of fundamental importance to avoid the development of bacteria and for the immediate removal of fragments that end up in the ears while the cat plays or around woods, meadows, parks in order to avoid even serious health problems (think, for example, of the hole in the ear of a dog or a cat).
How to clean a cat’s ears
- Do an ear check keeping in mind that you can only inspect the outermost part and not the inside of the ear canal or eardrum. Choose to check the cat’s ears in a well-lit area of the house and only when the cat is in a drowsy state or approaches for cuddles. Grab the top of the ear, gently twist the outer auricle and look inside.
- Determine if your ears need to be cleaned. The ears are clean when they are pale pink, ear wax is minimal, there is no dirt or debris, and they emit no odor. In this case there is no need for your intervention, the cat will do the grooming itself.
- If, on the other hand, the cat has a bit of dirt or a slight accumulation of ear wax, you need to clean his ears. Take your Kitty to a quiet room where there are no other pets and, if necessary, ask for the help of another person to gently hold the cat still without squeezing it tightly and without hurting it.
- Get a suitable liquid cleanser, apply the dosage indicated on the label (or as directed by the veterinarian) in the ear of the feline and massage gently and without pressing too much the base of the ear for 20-45 seconds. Repeat for the other ear.
- You can also remove the earwax with cotton moistened with hydrogen peroxide or olive oil. Dampen a cotton ball or gauze to gently pat the ears, but don’t push too deep into the ear canal. you could compact the dirt, rather than remove it.
- Let the cat calm for a few minutes and you will see that it will shake its head to further remove the accumulated ear wax or dirt.
- Finish the cleanup with pampering and reward reward.
Cleaning cat ears: what not to do and when to see your vet
After having seen how to clean the cat’s ears, let’s see what are the most common mistakes, the procedures to avoid and the situations in which you need to be alarmed and contact the veterinarian. Here are 10 tips and warnings:
- if you experience any discharges or leaks, green or yellow pus, red, dark red or black discharge, redness or swelling in and around the pinnae, or you smell unusual odors coming from the ears see your vet right away, Kitty may have an infection or an ear disease;
- do not use cotton swabs; they are harmful to human ears and also to those of cats;
- never use water, you risk giving him mycosis;
- if the cat’s ears are clean, do not torment him with unnecessary stress;
- make sure that cat is relaxed and if he does not cooperate try to wrap his whole body (including limbs) tightly in a towel as if it were a “roll”;
- if you see that at any point in the cleaning process the cat begins to fidget too much, stop; you must not get bitten or scratched;
- make sure that the cleaning solution is at room temperature, the sensation of cold drops in the ears is annoying for everyone, including you;
- don’t go too deep when cleaning you could damage the ear canal. Bleeding after cleaning your ears is not normal, if you notice blood, consult your vet;
- do not try to clean the ears of the cat when it is playing, running or jumping, it will not get caught and scratch you;
- if you are in trouble and cannot clean your cat’s ears, ask your vet for help who will show you the correct procedure.
