Encyclopedia of Feline Veterinary Medical Information
Ear Mites
Otodectes cynotis is the most common ear mite of cats. It usually lives in the ears and on the head of affected cats but it can sometimes live on the body of the cat. It is contagious and often affects most of the cats in a household. The presence of the mites can cause severe inflammation in affected cat's ears.
Ear mites are not the only cause of ear disease in cats. Cats should be examined to determine if ear mites are present prior to treatment.
Whenever treatment for this condition is not working well other causes of ear disease should be considered.
In the past it was felt that ear mites did not live well off cats but they may be better at surviving in the environment than we thought. In order to eliminate ear mites it is important to treat your cat's ears, the haircoat and the cat's environment for the mites. There are a number of approved medications for ear mites. Flea control products that kill adult fleas will kill mites. These may be used to treat the haircoat and the house, according to the product directions. In particularly stubborn cases, the use of ivermectin, an experimental drug in cats, may be justified.
Please see http://www.vetinfo.com/cearmites.html for more information.