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Questions
- Should You Clean Your Cats Ears?
- Make Sure their Comfortable Before the Big Clean
- How to Clean Your Cats Ears
- Cat Ear Cleaning Solutions
Cats are usually very good at keeping themselves nice and clean, but their ears are a bit of a different story. They can be a tricky spot for your feline friends to reach so every now and then they might need a little helping hand in reaching those harder to clean areas.
Cleaning a cat’s ears isn’t the easiest of tasks, especially as some moggies don’t like to sit still for it. Instead of fighting a battle with them, we have some tips and tricks to make the whole experience stress free for both parties.
All you need is a little patience, sometime put aside and the know how when it comes to doing it properly and efficiently. Once you know what you’re doing, it doesn’t have to be a difficult task at all!
Should You Clean Your Cats Ears?
Cats are a little like people in the ear cleaning department. Some may need quite frequent help, while others will always seem to be clean and not produce too much wax, they still need assistance in removing. It’s not usually necessary to clean your cat’s ears regularly however, if your feline friend is prone to dirty ears and infections, your vet may advise you to clean them on a more regular basis to avoid any issues.
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Even if you have a kitten that never seems to get dirty ears, being able to clean them if you need to be an important part of giving them the best care possible. When cats are young and you first bring them home, they’re still developing and learning what’s normal.
Introducing ear cleaning and checking on their ears frequently will help to desensitise them to any ear care they might need in the future.
Even if your cat’s ears don’t need regular cleaning, you should be able to handle them. Check inside their ears and practice gently wiping inside with a cotton pad so that if you ever do need to clean them, it won't be an alien experience or stress them out too much.
Make Sure their Comfortable Before the Big Clean
A big consideration when cleaning your cat's ears is making sure they are as comfortable as possible. Some cats may enjoy the sensation while others would rather be doing anything else with their time. When using ear cleaning solution, it can be a bit of a surprise the first few times, so be sure to hold your feline friend closely and watch out for their claws.
How to Clean Your Cats Ears
Sitting somewhere with your cat on your lap is probably the best position to clean their ears in. You may need a blanket or a towel to wrap around them and effectively swaddle them if you think they might get their claws out. The following steps are how to clean your feline friend’s ears:
Once your cat is comfortable and settled in your lap, grasp the ear, and straighten the canal to expose some of the creases that might be hidden.
Grab your bottle of ear cleaner in the opposite hand and squirt it into the ear canal. You should try to fill the whole canal but don’t worry if some leaks out. Try to avoid any contact between the nozzle of the bottle and the ear, it doesn’t need to be inserted into the ear, just squirted down the ear.
Still holding their ear, you can put down the bottle and use that hand to now massage the base of the ear for thirty seconds to a minute to give the solution time to break down any wax that’s stuck against the ear. While massaging you should hear the solution moving around in their ear.
Taking a cotton wool pad or ball, use it to remove any softened wax and debris from the ear, starting at the deepest point and wiping outward towards the tip of the ear. The solution should make the wax nice and soft so it’s easy to remove.
Once you’ve cleaned one side and can go ahead and repeat exact same steps for the other ear until you have a kitty with two sparkling clean ears! Lots of praise and some treats should follow an ear cleaning to make it a more pleasant experience.
When you’re cleaning your cat’s ears, remember not to push the nozzle into their ear canal and never use cotton buds to clean their ears as you could accidentally damage the eardrum.
What to Look for When Cleaning a Cat’s Ears
Cleaning your feline friends’ ears can be a daunting experience, especially if you’re unsure what to look for. When investigating their ears, you should see nice, clean skin. If you notice a dark waxy buildup or visible signs of dirt, it’s a clear sign they need their ears cleaning.
It’s also important to keep an eye out for a red area in and around their ears, particularly if they’re looking flared up as it could be a sign of an infection. Another sign it’s time to visit the vet is if you also notice a potent yeast like smell coming from their ears.
Cat Ear Cleaning Solutions
When you’re looking for a suitable ear cleaning solutions for your feline companion, you need to be considering products designed specifically for use with cats. Some products like Beaphar Ear Cleaner are suitable for both dogs and cats. It’s a gentle solution that’s great for cleaning ear wax – containing soothing menthol and mild antiseptics to strengthen the skin inside of the ear.
VetIQ Ear Cleaner is another option suitable for both dogs and cats. It contains propylene glycol, benzoic acid, neem oil and malic acid to keep their ear cleaner for longer and soothe any sore and sensitive skin. Most pet ear cleaning solutions like the ones above come with soft rubber nozzles so if your moggy does wriggle, they won’t damage themselves if they brush against it.
For all your ear cleaning needs and other kitty essentials, check out our wide range of products in online and in-store.