Diagnosing Feline Ear Mites
The ear mites produce dark colored debris that looks like ground coffee beans. Take a sample of debris from your cat's ears and analyze it. If you notice any white dots, which may move, these are the ear mites. You will also see your cat scratching his ears, even to the point of causing bleeding, head shaking, flattened ears and an unpleasant odor coming from the ears.
Ear mites may cause secondary infections such as yeast infections and the scratched area may get infected as well.
Treatment of Feline Ear Mites
If you are sure that your cat has ear mites, you can treat the condition at home. Be careful, because a lot of ear canal infections may show the same symptoms. It may be a good idea to get advice from a vet before starting your treatment.
Clean The Ears
Try to clean your cat's ears. Get rid of the debris using cotton swabs. Be very gentle when using the cotton swabs - these may hurt the eardrums.
Massage The Ears
Add a few mineral oil drops in the ear canal and massage the area. The oil will soften the debris and you will be able to clean the ears. Leave the oil to work for a couple of hours if you notice that the particles are hard; the oil will melt them.
Distilled Water
Use some distilled water to clean the particles that cannot be cleaned. Pour a bit of warm distilled water and this should wash out the remaining ear wax.
Oily Insecticide
The mineral oil is not enough to kill the ear mites. Use an oily insecticide to get rid of the mites. Natural insecticides are available in pet health stores.
Repeat the Treatment
If you want to get rid of the ear mites for good, repeat the process one week after the first treatment. The ear mites breed inside the ear canal and you might expect newly developed parasites in less than a week.
If there are secondary infections, such as a yeast infection, your cat needs antibiotic treatment.
Ignoring the ear mites can lead to hearing loss for your pet, not to mention that he will go through a miserable time while itching and scratching.