how do i clean a kitten's ears?

Question

he doesn't have ear mites, got him tested today. the vet said if he keeps scratching to bring him back. He has been scratching and still is, that's why he went to the vet today. Maybe he just needs them cleaned out, what's the easiest way to do that. He's a major crybaby, he screamed bloody murder today while he got his shots. Thanks

Answer 1

If you were at the vets today why didn't you ask the vet how to clean them????? He would have show you how.

Answer 2

You should be very careful with your cats ears. There are over the counter ear cleaning kits available at pet stores or on line. Make sure you follow the direction. Also have your Vet do a culture of the ears. It will determined the type of ear problem your cat is having. There is something irritating the ear and I can't think why your Vet hasn't an answer for you. I'm surprised that your Vet didn't give you a cone collar for your cat to keep it from scratching its ears. If a cat scratches its ears to much it can get a swollen ear known as boxers ear. You may want a second opinion from a different Vet unless you trust your Vet. When you work on your cat at home( like cleaning its ears) try rapping it in a large towel or a small blanket to keep it from scratching you and hurting it self. Keep telling the kitten in a comming voice that it is OK to help it stay quiet. Good luck on the ears...

Answer 3

What I do is to take a soft cotton ball or wrap guaze around your finger and put warm wate on it and gently clean out the ears.
Then you can do the same with baby oil or mineral oil. There are specific commercial preparations that you can use, but the baby oil/mineral oil is very gentle.
It's best to have someone else hold the cat wrapped in a towel because the cat is not going to like it. Don't do it if the cat is stressed or in a bad mood, but when the kitty is very peaceful like right after the kitty's nap. Also give the cat a treat right before and right after so the cat doesn't always think of it as a bad experience.
Keeping your cat's ears free of wax will also help retard any mite infestation.
If the ears seem bad and are bothering kitty, the best thing to do is to speak with your vet as it might be mites or an infection.
Hope this helps!
JT

Answer 4

There are different ear cleaning lotions that you can get through your vet or at a PetCo or Petsmart for cats and dogs. I suggest using a q-tip and cleaning his ears with the tip and lotion;but don't go too deep(into the ear canal) or the kitten will really have something to cry about. Try cleaning ears once aweek and see how it goes-that will help to clean them as a kitten because when he gets to be an adult, he won't let you touch his ears unless he gets use to it now. If this doesn't work, he could have allergies, or a build up of wax and sometimes yeast. We had a simese and he had crap in his ears-it was horrible-he even had to be put under to clean all the stuff out of his ears which were a result the vet said of allergies and from just being a siamese(breed problem) Good luck...

Answer 5

If your vet did not specifically instruct you to clean your kitten's ears then it is likely they do not require cleaning. However, if you still feel they need to be cleaned, this is not a bad idea since he is a kitten and it would not be a bad time for him to get used to these things now(nail trims included). Do NOT use Q-tips in your kitten's ears, especially since he is a squirmy one. One quick movement on his part and his ear-drum can easily be punctured. I would highly reccomend sterile or non-sterile gauze sponges available at any pharmacy. You can also obtain generic ear cleansers such as "Oti-Clens" from your veterinarian or local pet store. Do not use anything other than a specified ear cleaner, even water. Water tends to linger in the ear canal and just harbor more infection, rubbing alcohol is abrasive and can damage the ear drum, and well Hydrogen Peroxide just turns into water in the ear canal. You may need someone to hold him for you while you do this, so come prepared. Give one quick small squirt of the ear cleaner in your kitten's ear being sure his head is stabilized because the first thing he will want to do is shake the cleaner out and therefore defeating the purpose. Gently fold his ear over the canal and rub gently for several seconds to ensure the cleaner reaches down into the ear canal. Now take a single piece of gauze wrapped around a finger and gently wipe the inside of his ear as far as you can reach without applying pressure. Repeat this until the gauze comes out clean and again with the other ear. If his symptoms persist you should return to the vet for reevaluation. A microscopic evaluation should be performed for both yeast and bacterial infections as both are common feline ear infections, especially for kittens.

Answer 6

The vet already gave you the answer, if he keeps scratching then bring him back. So bring the kitty back and they can show you the correct way to clean the kitties ears. Please don't try it without the vet giving you the information. You can end up doing damage if not done correctly. Good Luck KG

Answer 7

Don't just ask your vet how, get him/her to show you how. Their ears are much more sensitive than ours. I would hate to try to put into words what my vet showed me. I might not get the point across and you could hurt your baby.

Answer 8

I hold my cats by the back of their neck while they sit in my lap, and gently place a Q-Tip inside their ear canal. Be careful not to go too deep, just around the folds. Then reward them with lots of love and a treat afterward while praising them. Best wishes.

Answer 9

you get a certain type of q-tips then you go to the vet a get a certain ointment or use water and clean till it's sparkly.

Answer 10

They have wipes out that you can use to clean animals ears with