Feline ear mites are parasites that dwell in the ear canal. Sometimes, they live on your cat’s skin and are visible as a white speck. Your cat can become infected with these mites through direct contact with another animal that’s infested. Just behind fleas, ear mites are among the leading parasites found on cats. Although they can affect cats of any age, they usually infect younger ones and kittens.

Symptoms

Feline ear mites cause a good deal of irritation. You will notice your cat shaking his head and scratching his ears a lot. The ears will also produce a crusty or waxy discharge. Some cats inflict further injury on themselves by scratching so much. This can cause a rash or hair loss to develop around the ears.

Diagnosis

There are other cat illnesses that can cause the same symptoms as feline ear mites. Therefore, the veterinarian will have to visually spot the mite to make a diagnosis. Your cat may have to be sedated so that the veterinarian can examine his ears closely. The veterinarian can also examine the ear discharge microscopically.

Treatment

To get rid of feline ear mites, your cat will need to take medications to treat his ears and skin. The treatment regimen takes between seven and ten days. If you have any other pets in the household, they will need to be treated also. You may also want to treat the environment in your home. These mites can survive without a host animal for a short while.