The Ear Mite Fight

I am going on record to state, “I hate ear mites!” More than fleas, worms or other pestilence, ear mites are the scourge of stray cats. The dark build-up of blackened crud seen inside your cat’s ear and canal is the wasteland of an ear mite invasion. Taking a bit of cotton dampened with warmed olive oil, if you roll this gently around the ear and pull out sediment resembling burnt coffee grounds, then your cat has ear mites. Plop that bit of cotton into a jar of water, the water will turn red like blood. This sediment is a combination of blood, oils, ear wax, ear mites and waste products (from the mites).

Mattie doesn’t have ear mites. Her ears look oily and glassy. One vet said it was wax (he was wrong). It is an infection and a bad one. She fights me daily because I have to put ointment in her ear and rub them gently. Her paws draw up to my fingers claws extended…touching her ears is a prelude to war.

Trump on the other hand has ear mites. He has kept them even though he underwent several “one time” treatments by vets to clear them up! Ear mites cannot be seen easily by the naked eye. Even though these tick-like mites are white, you need a microscope to see them. They live inside the ear, but they also travel. They can end up on the tip of your cat’s tail if he curls his tail around him when he sleeps. Ear mites can crawl out of the ear and move on to the head or the face of the cat. Ear mites are also contagious among animals, especially when they mutually groom each other. If one cat has ear mites, it is a sure bet that all the rest of the pets in the home are invested. Trump isn’t selfish, he shares his mites gladly with the rest of the group.

When an ear mite lands in a cat’s ear canal, it will live inside the canal devouring ear wax, oil and loose tissue. The mites have three stages of life…larvae, nymphs, adult. This life cycle only lasts for a period of three weeks. Once hatched, the larvae (six legged) will feed on the oil, tissue and wax for a period of four days. In a period ranging from three to ten days, the larvae molts into an eight legged protonymph. During a 5 day stage the protonymph molts into a deutonymph. Three to five days later, the deutonymph becomes attached to an existing adult mite. If two males are attached, the union is meaningless. If the adult hooks up with a female, she is fertilized so she has the ability to produce eggs.

Ear mites can drive my cats crazy. I am not far behind this craziness! Infested with ear mites, my cats will shake their head frequently, rub their head along any hard surface (carpet is the best choice so far) and scratch their ears till they bleed or the hair falls out. In advance stages, ear mite infections give off a distinct odor. To me it smells like rotten gym socks left inside a locker for a week during a heat wave! Since I work with strays, it is an almost endless battle here to stop all this ear mite invasion.

Treatment of Ear Mites:

Over-the-counter products for ear mite prevention should be avoided at all costs. Generally, though they may kill the adult mites, they don’t affect the eggs and the larvae. There are injectables, topical and oral meds available that will work against the ear mites. Make a vet appointment for the proper treatment.

Before any treatment is given, it is important to clean the ears out of the sediment that has already collected there. Use cotton balls, not Q-Tips. Q-Tips have the capability of pushing the crud deeper into the ear canal. Plus one wrong jerk of the cat’s head (even a scruffed kitty) could mean another vet visit for a punctured ear drum. Keeping the cotton ball moistened with warmed olive oil or mineral oil will help clean out the ears.

Treatment of ear mites is a repeatable treatment sometimes, even when a one-time only ear mite medicine is used. Topical treatments should be used once every three days. Wait for one week, repeat application. Wait another week and repeat the process. One time treatments are easier on the cat and on you.

Revolution: Revolution flea treatment by Pfizer is effective against fleas, ear mites, heartworm, ticks, roundworms and hookworms. Follow the package directions carefully when applying this product.

Ivomec 1% – This is NOT to be confused with the Ivomectrin paste available over–the-counter for livestock. Ivomec solution is available at your vets. Over-medicating with Ivomec can place your cat into toxic shock.

Ivermectin is an injectible solution used for ear mite invasion. According to Dr. Susan Little DVM, DAVBP of Bytown Cat Hospital, Ivermectin can be used both orally and topically.

Acarexx Otic Suspension- This is a one-time application for ear mites. The tip of the container is designed to get deep into the ear canal. There is no stinging sensation so the cat is less likely to shake goop all over you or your vet.

In Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, he offers the following suggestion: “A mixture of ½ ounce of almond or olive oil and 400 IU Vitamin E (capsule) makes a mild healing treatment for cats or dogs. Blend them in a dropper bottle and warm the mixture to body temperature by immersing the bottle into hot water. Put about ½ dropper full in each ear and massage gently. Then clean out the opening gently….apply this oil every other day for 6 days.” This will heal the ear, smother some of the mites but not kill the mites.

Be diligent when you are on the prowl for ear mites. Untreated, ear mites can cause damage to the ear canal and change your cat’s behavior from pussy cat to tiger. They can if severe enough and not tended to also cause deafness. Be careful when bringing in new cats to the home. Quarantine the new arrival until a vet check has been done. Ear mites are not contagious to people just to other pets. Once they gain a ear-hold on your group, it is tough for them to let go.

The only way I have found to stop earmites in an outdoor or indoor colony is to have the ears cleaned thoroughly during the spay and then have the vet follow up with injectible Ivermectin a cattle dewormer. This medication should not be given without a vet’s say-so and intervention, but it has shown effective in stopping ear mite invasion.

45 thoughts on “The Ear Mite Fight

  1. Julie, I answered you in the last part of my posting. For the indoor guys, you just have to keep at it with the medicine and cleanings. My vet has developed his own formula that you give orally- but it tastes so bad that once I start giving it, the cats will run and hide when they see it coming. And they know right away, the minute the bottle is uncapped they become Harry Potter’s in invisible cloaks!

  2. I did not realize what a big job it is to stay on top of an ear mite infection and that it can spread. I also didn’t realize that regular cleanings were needed. I have a cat at home that was initially showing signs of trouble so I used a prescribed medicine – ZYMOX – that I was using on a stray I just adopted. I looked in his ears but did see anything. This was going on for a few weeks. Yesterday, he refused to eat. I was up with him all night and started surfing online to see why the prescribed medicine didn’t work for him and found out that you need to wipe it out daily. Also, one good piece of info I picked up was to use a small square of gauze instead of cotton. You wrap it around your finger and put a few drops of oil on it and gently rub inside the ear. I am going to buy some after work today and get on it. 🙁

  3. The mites can travel and when the cats rub their faces together, the mites can hop off and into another’s cat ear. Yes, you need to clean the ears daily which doesn’t make you your cat’s best friend for awhile. But you need to be careful, because if you don’t see the small red/black specks then your cat could have a yeast infection which needs totally different meds to handle. I use cotton pads the square ones and tear them apart to help clean the ears. Gauze would be way to rough for the sensitive lining of the ears.

  4. Hello. I just found your site. Could you tell us what is a good way to capture an indoor feral cat? We have several indoor feral cats that we are unable to approach. They have lived with us for several years and still have not come around. We paid for a multitude of feral cats to be spayed and neutered and to have their shots, including these non approachable ones. It seems like it was a one time deal to get them in a carrier. We have a humane trap but these cats are crafty. (Even the loving cats will bolt and hide if they suspect we are up to no good like applying flea preventative.). Thanks for suggestions. One person said to use a net but I hate putting these cats through more trauma.

  5. An indoor feral cat? Sounds like an oxymoron, but I have several of those here. The best thing to do is to isolate them one at a time, but one in a room and work with that cat on his/her terms. If you look in my blog for the date-3/12/2008 the heading would be “Room Service” there, I give away all my tips on how to gain a cat’s trust. It is a slow process AND not always 100% successful (as my Ms. Dash can attest to) but in most cases it works.

    Cats are sort of like people in a way when they are in a group (or clowder) The leader or Alpha will act a certain way and the cats will follow suit. Determine who the Alpha cat is- he/she always eats first, sleeps on the highest level possible and other cats give the alpha his/her way. Herd that cat into the room first and work with the alpha. Once they understand that you are not a threat- they cease hiding and fleeing from you in terror. Most of these cats you are working with aren’t true ferals (or your house would be a wreck and smell worse!) They are just cats who as kittens couldn’t or didn’t get any human interaction. Instead of being your friend, they look at you like you are predator. That’s how they survive- whether they are inside or outside- that is how they process our presence.

    I will be glad to help you all I can- you can reach me at the email cats at risk @ comcast.net

  6. Hi, my neighbor and I recently spayed and neutered 11 cats including 4 kittens. The kittens about 4 months old now are a bit more trusting as I walk by but absolutely will not let me come real close to touch yet. I work 2 jobs to keep them fed but I am at a hearts loss on how to treat the ear mites and fleas as I just cannot touch them. Is there any other alternative for treatment, like a additive to their food? My heart breaks when I see them scratching at their ears and as I said, working the 2 jobs I haven’t the time to try to get their trust. Any advise you would have would be sooo appreciated. Part 2, one of the ferals will let me pet him so what can I get to treat the ear mites and treat his “owies” from his scratching? thank you!

  7. If you can give them revolution- it will kill earmites and fleas. My suggestion is to load the ointment in a feeding syringe and shoot the ointment directly on the body whatever you can reach. You have to act fast because it will melt the little plastic ball inside the syringe. You will have to do more than one treatment but in two months the earmites will be gone as will the fleas.

  8. Hi! I have a feral cat that I feed. I cannot touch him. He has been holding his head tilted to the left for the past two days. I think he has ear mites. Is there something that I can put in his can food that he can eat, that will kill these mites? Help!

  9. The only thing you can do is put revolution on him. Load it into a feeding syringe that you can get from the vet- get the largest you can and shoot it on him. Try for the neck, but with ear mites and ferals, I have even managed to put it on their tail with good results.

  10. My smokee had suffered from Ear Mites forever coming from a Feral colony of 30 cats.
    I used a Hartz brand at first and it literally burned the fur off her neck. So I was fearful to apply anything again. (Hartz gave me a cat play toy as compensation)
    For six months now I have applied Revolution, no problems, but the Vet said the mite investation was now a chronic condition.
    I am no sissy so I spent time cleaning her ears ot. The left one was the worst.
    A few weeks ago she’d started stumbling, I thought she broke a back leg. Then it seemed neurologically related.
    When I got a hold of her the infestation was severe and I noticed she had no teeth.
    She died the other day from lack of eating. She did keep herself hydrated.
    Do you think the investation could have caused her decline?

  11. The only way to find out what caused her death would be a necropsy being done. But sometimes, those give you more questions than answers. I would have to say that the stumbling was an inner ear infection caused by the mite invasion. Sometimes when they get a hold of an ear, it isn’t easy to let go. Is it a brand of the Hartz product used that caused her death? Again, a necropsy would be invaluable to tell you how Smokee died. I am sorry for your loss. I hope you might find out what happened to her (if it isn’t to late) but only if she has been kept in almost a frozen condition- you might be out of luck. There are countless websites that exist about the horrors of over-the-counter products used on cats and what happens in the aftermath. I don’t trust anything anymore unless it comes from my vet. I don’t even buy Advantage at a pet supply store anymore. It’s to risky.

  12. i have a yard full of feral cats about 14 i feed and give them sheter i have one that join about a year ago friendly he has ear mites i think but now he is tearing his ears off bleeding really he has nibs left ,and his head always full of blood he wont let me get him any help with this will help me i fear if i trap him and take him to a free center they will put him down thats how bad it is, anyone ever see such a thing?

  13. I would definitely get this kitty into a vet. Yes, you risk him being put down, but the other option is he dies a horrible lingering death especially once the warm weather starts and fly strikes begin. Trap him, take him in and tell them you want him saved if at all possible.

  14. Thank you for all you do! I have 3 feral cats in the colony. They are now neutered/spayed. One of them has a skin condition- perhaps mites? I found your web through a search. The info was helpful!

  15. Not generally. Even with bad ear mites the only surface destruction is to the pina of the ears and the base of the ear flaps as the cat scratches itself crazy. I would suggest you get a vet to see your cat and get a professional opinion as to what is going on.

  16. The local Trap and Release charity gave us Advange Multi. we managed to drop a drop or two on his head before he ran away and we are very optimistic that it worked. He stopped shaking his head and his ears look perky again.

  17. When it comes to some of the old-timers, you just gotta do what you need to do. I know that we feed organic catnip to the outside colonies because it helps them to pass hair and waste out their back-end. It also passes parasites but doesn’t kill the internal ones.

  18. Thank you for the information on Revolution to treat fleas and ear mites. But with squirting it on their fur dont they digest it by licking it off. ?? Certainly and ideally I would aim for back of neck which is unreachable but if I get it on an area they can lick…isnt it dangerous. Id be worried about stomach cancer.
    Thank you for your help.

  19. Fortunately there’s now Revolution, Stronghold, and Multi Advantage. Kills ear mites 1st and only treatment.
    Now if there was something to slip into wet food for untrappable feral cats…

  20. Hey, I’m not sure if this site is still active, but I have a feral cat that I feed at my work place, she has been constantly shaking her head and scratching her right ear. I never noticed any blood or serious injuries in the ear, but right now the ear is swollen and she seems less playful these days. I do notice brownish colors inside, but it’s not as bad as in the google pictures I keep seeing, it looks like it’s a natural color of her ear, although I did read that the cat’s ear should be ping inside. She keeps eating food and drinking water, but I feel like she has become more aggressive ever since her ear has become swollen. She doesn’t let me touch her much, she likes to scratch my jeans and I can pet her a little, but only for a short amount of time before she starts telling me to back off. I was wondering if there’s anything I can do, is revolution going to help kill the existing mites in her ear ? And is there anything I can do about the swollen ear ?

    Thanks in advance.

  21. I would definitely put Revolution on the cat, it won’t hurt. If the mites go untreated it can get pretty hazardous to the cat’s health. Is there any way that you can get a trap and get the cat in the trap and to a vet? Swollen ear indicates a wound not mites- probably got into a fight or altercation of some type and needs a vet to look at her/him and some sort of antibiotic. Hard to do when they are feral but always worth it to try.

  22. Thank you for posting this. One of the best and most informative article about ear mites I have ever read. I didn’t realise my cat had earmites until the poor thing really started shaking and scratching. I will now be more attentive when she rubs hear head alot too. There wasn’t much discharge at first but when I started treatment with olive oil, apple vinegar and water I saw a lot more coming to the surface but I’m worried I won’t kill all the eggs this way? How do I get rid of the eggs too? Many thanks

  23. I would not use a homemade remedy for earmites (they never work) I would call a vet and get a tube of Revolution which also kills mites and eggs. I would use this medicine faithfully every month to keep the mites under control and pray they don’t come back. If you don’t use the proper medicine the mites can get so bad the cat can become really sick or even deaf from the destruction going on deep in the inner ear

  24. I used 1 dose of revolution on my ten cats and it didn’t help at all with the ear mites. I’ve read that sometimes it will take a couple of doses, but I can’t afford to take that chance.

  25. I dose doesn’t seem adequate enough for ten cats? I could be wrong- but you might want to look up the conversion online and try again. Knowing their true weight is also key to this medication.

  26. I have an outdoor cat that comes to feed once or twice a day. She recently developed an ear hematoma and vet said it was from shaking scratching head(she found no mites in ear). I’ve had her to vet twice to get it ‘lanced’ and then bandaged and then ear cone on, and I’ve had to keep her on the screened porch for almost two weeks. She is miserable, and, keeps managing to get the bandage off and sometimes the cone, and, the ear is still full of blood. I’m so tired of seeing her miserable, and now the vet wants to try something else with sutures. I’m sure she’ll still have the cone if not the bandage and I’ll have to continue to keep her up. Not to mention the cost, and I am on small fixed income. But that’s not it as much as seeing her so unhappy. Has anyone ever had this issue and let the cat run loose and see what happens to the ear, if cat scratches it, which she surely will, I figure it’ll rupture, the blood will drain, etc. I know this sounds horrible, but a third procedure is no sure cure either. Has anyone ever dealt with this and what happened?

  27. Had something similar with a cat from a hoarding situation but ended up having to put the poor kitty down because the damage was so severe. Two surgeries were performed on him before the vet said that the cat was in so much pain not much could be done. It all stemmed from one earmite attack as a kitten that was NEVER taken care of! This cat was 7 years old when he got here and we worked hard to bring him to a comfort level. I would say that you should see a feline specialist and not a vet, but they are expensive and you said you were on a fixed income- maybe a gofund me page with photos and story could raise the funds?

  28. I have a feral that I know has ear mites. I can’t touch him. You once that you can put it in a syringe and shoot it on him and another part you said only put it on the back of the neck but yet you said that you had good results once you even putting it on I cat’s tail so if I get to shoot it on him and I can’t get it on the back of the neck will he lick it off or will it kill him

  29. You can shoot it on them, but you have to get in contact with the skin, not the fur. They won’t die from just having it on their fur because they will try to lick it off and it will make them drool.

  30. I found a feal kitten and gave a bath and noticed the ears were clogged pretty good… With what looked like light colored mud… It isnt like the ear mite pics i have seen… I am just wondering if it’s a different type of mite… Keto early flush for starters till I can get to a vet… If anyone is familiar with this light colored mud.. Please let me know if its just mud or something more

  31. Veronica, if it is visible, looks like mud or sand, it is earmites. If you are looking online for earmite photos you will only see the ears that are heavily infected- otherwise, you wouldn’t see them at all as they hide down into the ear canal. If the inside of the ears are waxy or glossy looking and the kitten is scratching, then the kitten has a yeast infection in its ears. Not familiar with a Keto flush- hope you were able to get this baby to the vet for the proper ear medicine and right diagnosis.

  32. I have a colony of ferrel cats with ear mites. They scratch their ears so much that they have sores around their ears. I need to know if there is something I can put in food or water that they can eat. They don’t come close to me and I know if I would try to catch them they would injure me. I have trapped a few and had the spayed but nothing was done with the ears. They are very trap wise now, so that is not an option anymore. If I went to the feed store and got ivermectin how could I give it to them?

  33. Sadly, there is nothing effective that you can use as a feed-through that works for earmites. Unless something has changed, it has always been the earmite medicine from the vet (not from the store) or Revolution. You should not use Ivermectin without the approval of a vet as it can be dangerous if too much is given. For ferals, earmites are just a way of life. It’s sad and can lead to hearing loss if it gets that severe. I always make sure that any feral cat trapped gets that one-time earmite cleaning. It does not last a life time but it helps for quite awhile. I wish I had the magic answer, but none exits.

  34. I have a stray/feral cat that cannot be touched. He will eat if I put it down & walk away. My other cats started shaking their heads & scratching at one of their ears so I assume the stray has passed ear mites to them. I treated my cats w/Revolution but realize they will become re-infected if I don’t treat the untouchable stray also. I’ve read a little about “Capstar” & wonder if it would be effective for the stray’s earmite issue. What’s your take…do you think it will help w/his earmites?

  35. To my knowledge, Capstar is only good to kill adult fleas. It kills them in 24 hours, but the eggs are still left behind. Your best bet is Revolution and yes, I know that strays sometimes have strong feral tendencies, but this guy isn’t snuggling up next to your cats (I’m betting) and that is the only way the earmites can travel. By group sleeping and mutual grooming. If your cats are being let outside- earmites happen just as fleas and other parasites do. Which is why it is so important to do monthly flea control on cats as well as worming. We use Diachatomus Earth Crystals (food grade) for fleas and worms in our outside colonies. But sadly, this product will not kill or harm earmites.

  36. I am treating a leery, young indoor cat that I can’t get my hands on with an oral flea preventative called Program. Found it on Amazon. I mix it with a fancy cat food because she prefers dry food and it seems to be effective; however, now she is flicking her ears and I am concerned about mites. I will contact my vet about switching to Revolution and will use the suggested point and shoot technique. (Cat was terrorized when she eluded her captors trying to get her into carrier to the vet for spay. Eventually the humans won, but it was not a pretty scene.).

  37. Sometimes it can be a worse fight to get a stray cat with feral tendencies to trust you, than it can be to treat earmites. Trapping can leave cats with PTSD and trust issues. For these cats, I will sit quietly near but not that close to the feeding grounds when they come and eat. I just sit there, no movement, no eye contact until they are used to me being there, then slowly just move closer until I am within arms reach. Many will hide, but if you don’t threaten them or appear bigger than they are, they will accept you and come out and eat. Eventually they will come nearer and sniff and investigate, and still I do not move until that first headbump. Then I will reach out and touch and the trust will start. You have to work on their time schedule not yours and it can take a long time- but man is it worth it when that trust is gained. Good luck

  38. I have a question (a couple actually). There are 2 stray cats where I live and the male (who is asleep behind me right now) was shaking his head a little. He won’t let me mess with his ears. Will they go away by themselves? Also I have been pulling ticks off him. Is that ok? My first question was about ear mites. Hope you can help. Precious (main room) won’t go to anyone but me and my husband. If anyone else came around he would run away but come back later.

  39. Honestly, if you are pulling ticks off him and he is shaking his head- he could have a tick embedded in his ear. Because of lyme disease and other issues, I would get this kitty to a vet pretty quickly. They will sedate him and examine him all over and put that long-lasting ear mite medicine in his ear, or remove any ticks that might be burrowed down.

  40. Hello, great website you have.

    Taking care of an indoor-outdoor cat. They usually come inside for feeding and stay 5-6 hrs inside a day if not longer.

    Getting a prescription of Revolution soon. I was giving them regular advantage which helped kill fleas, but still saw fleas on my cat bc they sleep outdoors and its very hot outside.

    If I give them Revolution, will all the Ear Mites and fleas my cat has disappear? I feel like BECAUSE they are an outdoor-indoor cat, the cat will just keep having ear mites/fleass bc of where they sleep. Not sure if Revolution was made for outdoor cats/how successful it would be for feral cats.

  41. It absolutely will help with the earmites in both indoor, and outdoor cats including ferals. But if you are referring to an outdoor cat that is coming into your home even if just for a few hours. That cat is NOT feral. True Feral cats upon encountering humans will vanish. They generally will only come out to eat early in the morning before the world wakes up or late at night. They will not come into your home and if they do, they will spray, cause damage in their panic to getting away. Stray Cats that allow you to pet them or that come into your home are called (at least in my book) Strays with feral tendencies. Big difference.

    You have to reapply Revolution as directed on the label or by your vet. It’s not just a one time cure. BUT please be sure you buy the medicine from your vet. A LOT of the anti-flea products you see on grocery store shelves and in specialty stores are counterfeit or ineffective- even some can kill or harm or a cat. It’s a big industry with billions of dollars behind it and lucrative for criminals to figure out how to rip people off. But if you get the right stuff, and are faithful in applying it as directed. It works well to stop the flow of earmites. They don’t always get it from sleeping earmites are in the environment and they get it from grooming each other or greeting each other. Mites are nasty and need to be controlled or the cat can grow deaf over time and develop other health issues. If the secretion in the ears is clear, it is not earmites, but a yeast infection. If you see dark, dirty blobs of black and red that is earmite blood and Revolution will kick it out of existence until the next treatment is needed.

  42. THANK YOU FOR DOING A WONDERFUL JOB ON THIS SITE OUR FERAL CAT`S GRANDMA MAGGIE, AUNTIE FRIENDLY, JASMINE, SNOWBALL,GINGER,MERRL, AND OURSELVES GIVE SPECIAL THANK`S RETTA

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