Cat ear itch

[s1m0n]

Besides being talked about in another room, what can make a cat's ears itch? Mine is pretty interested in being scratched inside his ear. If I hold a finger out, he'll twist his head round until my finger's right inside his ear. In a dog, I'd look for signs of ear mites, but there's nothing I can see like that with him. What else can cause this, or is it normal?

[jsluder]

Wax and dirt. The cat may just need to have its ears cleaned.

[dwest]

yeast? Use an otic cleaner

[herbivore12]

Could just be wax and dirt, as jsluder says. Ear mites, as you note, also cause this - is the cat scratching his ears when you're not doing it for him? That could be a sign of mites, and if the infestation isn't too bad yet you may not see much outward sign. If you see the classic black or brown buildup that resembles coffee grounds, mites are a good bet. My parents' cat, years ago, had a yeast infection in her ear that caused itching, too.

If you see the cat scratching or shaking his head a lot even when you're not rubbing his head, you may want to have him checked out. Otherwise, he may just like your touch on his waxy ears . . .

[chas]

I've never had a cat that didn't like its ears scratched. (I try to stay on the outside.) I always thought it was just a pleasure center. I've always been able to tell when a cat has ear mites, too, the scratching is uncontrollable. When I was a kid, our cat had mites and scratched so wildly he gave himself a cauliflower ear. Nothin' like looking down and seeing a cat whose ear is twice as thick as it is broad.

Most cats also like having their ears rubbed (ear flap between your thumb and finger); I've heard this is their way of hearkening back to the days when their mothers groomed them. Our current cat wasn't weaned properly, and she especially loves to have hear ears rubbed.

[emmline]

Probably just likes it unless--as was said--he's doing odd things with his ears when you're not scratching him. Usually with mites or whatnot the cat will hold its ears funny, like sort of flatten them, or make the two non-symmetrical.

[SteveShaw]

Mites is possible but the beastie would be doing his own scratching. Check it out with the vet. The solution to mites is easy and your pussycat will be all the calmer for it!

[Innocent Bystander]

Yep, check for harvest mites. Cookie used to love having his ears cleaned, and he were full of - well, you don't want to know. He wasn't the cat that had harvest mites. She had balding ears.

[Doc Jones]

Cats with ear mites will typically have black ear-mite poop in their ears.

If she isn't scratching them herself and her ears look clean chances are she just enjoys it. In my experience it would be un-cat-like for her not to enjoy it.

Doc

[Byll]

After I retired from teaching, I decided to work for a vet for about a year and a half. I learned that cats can get some very nasty yeast infections in their ears. The signs present just like ear wax, but are not. The cats do not like these infections at all, and will scratch at the outside of their ears, down near the base of the ear, and lower. Medications are available that take care of the situation in about two weeks.

Best.
Byll

[dwest]

Yeast infections are more common but apparently mites have a higher yucky neat gross factor that makes the possibilty of having them much more exciting to discuss.

[s1m0n]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've decided that the cause is likely pleasure rather than pathology, because there's no sign of offensive goo or obsessive scratching.

[flutefry]

Late to chime in, but I have another such a cat who presents her ears for cleaning every two weeks or so. I'd say that she has more wax buildup than most cats. Each time the vet has looked, she says "everything is fine". So I think the cat just likes having ears cleaned from time to time. Between times, there is no excessive scratching-that's quite unmistakable.

Hugh