Cleaning your cat’s ears is necessary to maintain your pet’s hygiene. When your cat has ear mites, you will have to clean his ears at least once per day, as part of the treatment to get rid of the extra ear wax and the parasites. Cats are known as uncooperative when it comes to baths, ear or teeth cleaning, or even the application of some eye drops. You need to learn how to clean your cat’s ears, as you can't visit the vet every time you have to perform this task.
Gather the Supplies
Gather all you need before applying the ear drops. Get a syringe or a plastic ear dropper. Get olive oil, an ear cleaner or a special solution with insecticide, in case your pet has ear mites. Get some cotton balls or towels.
The olive oil or the solution you will apply in the cat’s ears must have the cat’s body temperature. Warm the solution container in a pot of warm water. Test if the solution is warm enough, but make sure it's not too warm, as the cat’s ear drums are sensitive.
Prepare the Cat
Put the cat on a table on top of a warm towel. The cat should feel comfortable, so use reassuring words and give him a treat before and after applying the drops.
Hold the cat, so that he doesn’t move. Ask someone to assist you if you can't manage holding the cat and the syringe at the same time.
Apply the Solution
Hold the cat’s ear and drop a bit of solution in the ear. If your cat sits still, apply the rest of the prescribed drops. Typically, you should apply 5 to 10 drops of ear cleaner.
Make sure the liquid gets inside the ear canal. You may introduce the syringe up to ½-inch inside the ear. After applying the liquid, massage the area with two fingers to make sure the liquid is absorbed.
After 5 minutes, repeat the procedure with the other ear.
Allow the solution to work for 5 to 10 minutes. The cat will shake his head and he will eliminate dirt, parasites or debris.
Clean your cat’s ears with some cotton balls or swabs. Clean only the external part of the ear and never the ear canal, as you could hurt the ear drum. If a deeper cleaning is needed, this should be performed by the vet. The entire process of cleaning will take up to 15 minutes.
Inspect your cat’s ears as part of the weekly grooming. Notice any abnormalities or if there is an excess of ear wax, which may indicate that there's an infection or ear mites. If you smell a foul odor, this can also indicate an infection. Frequent head shaking and excessive scratching of the ears will point to ear infections or parasites.
Perform a routine cleaning twice per month. By caring for your cat’s ears and performing regular cleaning, you can prevent typical ear infections caused by fungi, bacteria or ear mites.