Ear Mites In Cats

So tiny you usually need a microscope to see them ear mites are the most common cause of cat ear problems and they can be very irritating to your cat.

Ear mites in cats.

Ear mites are nasty little parasites that enjoy the environment inside of your cat s ears. Ear mites in cats are not just found in the ears. An ear mite infestation can get. They like to live in the warm dark environment of the ear canal where they feed on skin debris.

Ear mites or otodectes cynotis are microscopic parasites which can infect the ears of a cat. Highly contagious and as common to cats as fleas ear mites can lead to bacterial and fungal infections and cause inflammation of the cat s outer ear canal. In extreme cases untreated ear mites can cause a ruptured eardrum or permanent hearing loss. Ear mites think other species are tasty too and they are very contagious.

These mites create irritation and itchiness which cause the cat to scratch its ears. They also like to live in warm dark environment of the ear canal where they then feed on the skin debris. While cats of any age are susceptible to ear mites they are most often seen in kittens. Ear mites are a common infestation and are easily spread between cats and other animals.

These particular mites then create irritation and itchiness which leads to the cat scratching its ears. Cats that are afflicted with ear mites will typically scratch at the ears excessively and shake their heads even pulling out their own hair and drawing blood as they scratch. The most common ear mite of cats is otodectes cynotis and therefore an infestation with ear mites is sometimes called otodectic mange 1 ear mites primarily live in the ear canal where they feed on skin debris. Some cats will shake their heads so much that an hematoma of the ear will form with blood pooling in the ear due to breakage of a blood vessel.

Though there are several different types of ear mites that can affect cats the most common one is otodectes cynotis which essentially resembles an eight legged crab. Mites on cats can travel all over the cat s body. Their presence causes inflammation and can also lead to secondary ear infections. Of course you will not be able to see them properly with the naked eye but you should be able to see them under a microscope.

The ear canal is where these parasites thrive. Ear mites are very contagious especially to other cats and dogs and are very common.