Healthy Cats

Ear Mites in Cats

Ear Cleaning Tips

Routine ear cleaning is not required. Some wax is necessary to maintain the health of the tissues. However, ears should be cleaned when there is an excessive amount of wax, dirt, or debris. For small amounts of waxy debris, a damp cotton ball or a cotton-tipped swab works well. Many cats tolerate this well if you sit down and hold them in your lap, facing away.

Do not put any cleaning solution in the ear unless you are confident the eardrum is intact.

To clean a very dirty ear, apply a few drops of warm mineral oil, olive oil, a dilute vinegar solution (three drops white vinegar in 1 ounce [30 ml] of water), or a special ear-cleaning solution from your veterinarian (such as Oti-Clens, Epi Otic, Clear X Cleansing Solution, Virbac, Malacetic Otic, or Tris-EDTA products) to the external ear canal and massage the base of the ear to loosen dirt, excess wax, and debris. Then gently wipe out the ear with a cotton ball.