How to Clean a Cat’s Ears Safely and Effectively – Cleaning cat ears can be very challenging, it looks easy, but not all cats can be calm in the process. However, you still need to do it for the cleanliness and health of your pet.
For cats, ears are a very sensitive part. If you don’t do it carefully, it can injure the inside of the cat’s ear.
This time we will share how to clean a cat’s ears safely and effectively. Starting from preparation to step-by-step cleaning of the cat’s ears. In the end, we will also share about the best time to clean a cat’s ears.
Early Preparation
There are a few things to do before you start cleaning your cat’s ears:
Check the condition of the cat’s ears
Before starting to clean, you need to first check the condition of your cat’s ears. The goal is to find out how dirty the cat’s ears are. So, you can decide what kind of treatment to do.
In addition, some cats have a quite thick fur on the inside of their earlobes. You also need to make sure whether the fur is tangled or clumped. Tangled fur will make it difficult for you to clean the cat’s ears. So, it would be best if you groomed first.
Another check that you need to do on the cat’s ears is to see if there are blisters, swelling, bad smells, fleas, and dirt that has accumulated.
Healthy cat ears are usually free of dirt and odorless. In addition, the skin of a healthy ear is whitish pink. Our advice is if you find something bad in your cat’s ears, it’s a good idea to hold back cleaning the ears. Better, immediately take it to the vet for further treatment.
Prepare equipment for cleaning the cat’s ears
Preparing all the necessary equipment is very important to do. Why? So you don’t go back and forth to take the equipment.
Most cats can’t calm down when their ears are cleaned. So, you need to do it quickly before your cat’s mood changes. Of course, this will be difficult to do if your equipment is not complete. Mostly, once the cat manages to escape from your grasp, it will be difficult to seduce them again.
Below are some equipment that you can prepare to clean the cat’s ears:
1. Cat ear cleaner and olive oil/baby oil
You can use cat ear cleaner and baby oil/olive oil. Cat ear cleaner to be dripped into the inner ear that is difficult to reach, so that dirt is easy to come out. Meanwhile, baby oil/olive oil is only used to clean the earlobe.
Be careful, don’t choose the wrong ear cleaner because it can harm your cat’s health. You can ask your vet for recommendations. You can buy cat ear cleaner at the nearest pet shop or online.
2. Pipette
The pipette is used to drip the cat’s ear cleaner into the cat’s ear. You can buy these pipettes at pet shops, pharmacies, or online shops. It was cheap!
3. Cotton ball
Use a soft cotton ball, so the cat’s ears won’t hurt. Do not use cotton buds or ear cleaners made of metal. Both of these tools can injure the cat’s ears, and can even push the dirt deeper. Just use a cotton ball.
4. Clean water
Provide warm clean water to clean the remnants of dirt or oil left around the ear.
5. Favorite Snack
As we explained earlier, cats hate having their ears touched for too long. To work around this, you can give his favorite snack to calm the cat, while preventing the cat from stress.
Step by Step in How to Clean a Cat’s Ears
- Choose a bright and quiet place so that you can concentrate and the cat is not distracted. Adjust your position as comfortably as possible to clean the cat’s ears properly.
- Make sure the cat is in a comfortable and relaxed condition. To calm your cat, you can pet it first. If necessary, give him his favorite snack. At this stage, if the cat still won’t calm down, you should ask someone else to help you hold the cat.
- Once the cat has calmed down, gently hold the earlobe. Gently lift the top of the ear and pull it slightly back. The goal is to open the ear canal and help straighten the ear canal. Make sure you can see inside the ears.
- Put a few drops of ear cleaner into the cat’s ear. Then, gently massage the base of the outer ear. Do massage for 30-45 seconds while waiting for the liquid evenly.
- After the massage, do nothing. Just wait about 2-3 minutes. Later the cat will naturally shake its head to remove the dirt from the inside of the ear.
- Gently lift the cat’s earlobe again. Gently wipe off the dirt that has come out with a cotton ball. Before that, moisten a cotton ball with warm water to make it easier to rub into the cat’s ear.
- Careful! Do not dig too deep into the middle ear. This area contains the eardrum and a small cavity that is important for the cat’s hearing.
- If there is crusty dirt on the earlobe, try cleaning it with a cotton ball that has been moistened with olive oil/baby oil.
- Repeat these steps until all parts of the ear are clean of dirt.
- Done! Give snacks and compliments as gifts for your beloved cat.
How often should cat ears be cleaned?
Ear hygiene is one of the keys to maintaining the health of your beloved cat. Experts recommend at least once a month cat ears should be cleaned. In certain conditions, it could be more than once. It depends on how quickly your cat’s ears get dirty again. Especially if the cat seems to start scratching his ears often.
For checking, you can do it every 2 weeks. But it also depends on how the cat spends its time. If your cat plays outside a lot, you may want to check more often.
If you don’t have time or can’t clean the cat’s ears, you can take it to a professional grooming service, or vet.
But if you don’t want to spend money, it’s best to start practicing cleaning your cat’s ears yourself. It can be difficult at first, but as time goes on you become a pro at it!
Related: Liquid Food for Sick Cats You Need To Know
Conclusion
In how to clean a cat’s ears, it’s important to do it at least once a month. You should be able to do it yourself at home.
For beginners, you may need to be careful and take it slow.
Check the condition of the cat’s ears, prepare equipment, and follow the steps above correctly. Starting from choosing the best place, calming the cat, dripping cleaning fluid, to gently wiping the inside of the ear. However, if you are still in doubt, don’t force it. Please take it to the vet is the best solution than your cat getting hurt.
Related: How to Keep Cats Off Your Car
That’s how to clean a cat’s ears safely and effectively that you can do at home. Don’t miss out on checking your cat’s health and hygiene regularly!