Cat Ear Mites Symptoms and Treatments

When a cat has ear mites the ear will look dirty/black

An ear mite is a spider-like parasite that you cannot see.  These mites are attracted to the wax in your cat's ear, When it comes to a cat the mite will bite the cat's ear, or around its neck. The mite will cause bites that look like a blister that are small and red.  

These bites are annoying to the cat and the cat will shake its head and scratch its ear. Your cat's inner ear may look bloody or swollen. Ears that are infected with mites must be cleaned to remove the mite and a veterinarian may prescribe an ear drop treatment. 

View this video to learn how to clean the ear. Treatment for ear mites.

Recently we took in a rescue cat that had mites in its ears and on the body. We knew this because another symptom of mite on the cat's body is to look for dandruff-like flakes in your cat's fur and there were large patches of hair loss. These symptoms are due to the Demodex mite and this mite bites the cat's skin. If you have a multiple cat home where cats are indoor / outdoors chances are you have this mite.

Know that if one cat has ear or skin mites then all of your cats and even your dog has mites. Mites can also get into human hair and this parasite will cause a real problem so I would recommend that you contact your veterinarian if you suspect mites.

See the photograph of the rescue cat with mites, you can see that she is missing fur. She had mites around her neck, in her ears, and on her backside. I suspect she got them from being out in the woods or spending time with other cats that were infected with mites.

From our experience in taking care of the rescue cat that had mites, we learned that the best way to prevent your cat from getting mites is to apply the topical Revolution monthly. Revolution will prevent ticks, fleas, mites, and sarcastic mange. Revolution will also prevent internal and external parasites including heartworm. You can also give your cat a sulfur dip.  My friend told me that she has used sulfur for the treatment of cat mites, that it does work but you must put a cone-shaped recovery collar on your cat to prevent them from licking their fur and ingesting it.

This rescue has a cone-shaped recovery collar on