My cat had the same thing, but NO itching, so my vet knew it was not ear mites. Also, the flea meds I give him from the vet once a month also takes care of ear mites. The black crud Ramsey gets is just wax and my vet told me to just use a q-tip dipped in a little olive oil and clean the crud being careful not to dig deep. I do this at least once a month. Ramsey doesn't like it, but he's getting used to it and when we're done, he heads directly to the treat jar where he knows mommy gives him a treat afterward for being such a good boy.
Treat your animals like you would your kids---if they have something wrong, take them to the doctor first, to find out for sure what it is, then ask them, very politely, if there is anything you can do at home in the future if it happens again. You can end up with an animal that is constantly ill, has chronic ear problems, which can lead to behavior problems down the line from the constant pain.
Sounds like ear mites. I had a cocker that constantly had them and her ear wax was black. You will have to go to the vet and get the cat medicine to clean the ears and medication also.
I agree it is likely ear mites. You have to take your cat to the vet, who will show how to clean the ears and give you medication to kill the ear mites. Go now, before the cat scratches its ears raw on the outside.
I have worked for a Veterinarian for over 27 years. Your Fur-baby needs to be seen by a Doctor. If it is ear mites you will need a prescription or an injection from the Doctor. You cannot treat ear mites at home. Good luck
That black ear wax is not ear wax. It's ear mite poop. Clean the ears with a q-tip without going inside the ear. My husband used to instruct clients to "use it like a spoon" and scoop the crud out. Then with a cotton ball moistened with alcohol or just water clean them the best you can. If you use ear mite medicine on top of all that stuff you'll just have medicated poop and won't kill the mites. Go to you vet office and ask for ear mite medicine. Don't rely on some of those Walmart things and certainly not Sargent's or Hartz. If you have money to throw away, throw it my way! You need to treat 3 times a week for 3 weeks to totally rid the cat of the mites.
It can be ear mites. Are they scratching? Get them used to getting their ears cleaned, be firm but gentle. Take a clean kleenex, fold it, wrap it around your finger and gently but firmly wipe the junk out of their ears, getting new tissues frequently to avoid spreading the black stuff. If you are careful you can get down into the smaller section of the ear safely, but don't go any further than that. if it is ear mites, don't come in contact with them, they seem to have 2 inch long fangs! They burn when they come in contact with our hands-and with the cats ears. If you have more than one cat, clean all of their ears, it can be easily spread from one cat to another. It will take several cleanings to control it, first every other day. If it's really bad, then once a week, then once a month. We had a cat who had it chronically and she would come and ask us to clean her ears. Most cats don't like it done, but she really appreciated it. Any cat who has a bad case of ear mites gets it that the cleaning makes them feel better. There's a liquid wash you can get from your vet that helps clean their ears.
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Request: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear (07/10/2009)
My kitten (5 months old) has a lot of black/brown build up in her ear. I don't know, is this cats's version of ear wax. If so how, can I clean her ears at home without taking her to a vet.
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Request: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
Archived on 07/10/2009
My kitten (5 months old) has a lot of black/brown build up in her ear. I don't know, is this cats's version of ear wax. If so how, can I clean her ears at home without taking her to a vet.
Elaine from Atlanta, GA
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RE: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
Sounds like a mixture of ear wax and ear mites. Mineral Oil on a Q-tip, will take care of it. Just enough to wet the Q-tip, not dripping. Sweep the inside of the ear and repeat several times with a clean Q-tip each time. Be very careful not to go too deep inside the ear. This saved me several trips to the vet with my kittens. (10/23/2006)
By Jennifer
RE: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
Yup. I agree. You want to clean up this mess and keep it clean before an infection sets in. (Infection is a costly vet visit.) Mineral oil (at the Dollar store) cleans the ears and helps keep the ear mites away. So coat the ear inside with it after you've cleaned out the gunk (a veterinary term for wax, mites, blood and such).
However, I use Q-tips only to get at any nook or cranny I can actually see. Just like human ears, tread softly. For big jobs like this, I use gauze, real cotton balls or cotton make-up sponges. (Which would you rather have in your ear, cotton or wood(paper)?
After this time, clean the ears out and coat with mineral oil at regular intervals. You will have a happy cat, and the vet will just have to collect elsewhere. (10/23/2006)
These are ear mites and very common. Your local pet store has ear mite drops, or check the animal department in your local "Mart". It's inexpensive and just takes a couple of drops. Good Luck. (10/23/2006)
By BJ-Houghton Lake, MI
RE: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
I agree with the ear mites and the mineral oil except for one thing. Just soak a cotton ball with the mineral oil and squeeze it out, then swab the ear out. You may need to do a couple of cotton balls, but it is much easier than a Q-tip. (10/24/2006)
Ear mites, ear mites. I found a great and wonderful way to take care of this. It is called Thornit. You can buy it from England and little goes a long way. Look it up on Google. I have a dog and one cat with chronic ear problems for years and years and neither has had any ear problems since we started the Thornit. It has been amazing. People I can't tell you how great it is. They have been using this over there for over 100 years on their pets and it is all good. The pet smells a bit like a dentist office then, but that is livable.
I buy mine from a lady named Mary. I think I paid like 14 USA dollars and it was well worth every penny. I am getting ready to buy another bottle now.
What it does is it smothers the ear mites and kills them. Then you just maintain the ears with a bit either once a week or once a month, my hubby does the once a month on the cat and once a week on the dog. The dog has heavy ear flaps.
Check it out.
Laura (10/26/2006)
RE: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
You should never, never use a Q-tip on a cat's ear. You could puncture their ear drum when they are shaking their head. My kitten had a bad case of ear mites when I got him and I used the Hartz Ear Mite Medicine they have at Walmart or just about anywhere. It worked in about 7-10 days, a few drops a day. The mineral oil will help loosen the buildup in the ears after the treatment if it is necessary. Mine was not. They cleaned out on their own with the drops I was putting in them. Now he's happy and healthy and ear mite free.! (08/10/2007)
By kylkat
RE: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
Go to the vet. Don't sacrifice your cats health and comfort to save a few bucks. And don't stick a Q-tip in your cats ear. The vet will give you medicine to put in the cats ears that will clear it right up. My cat had the same problem and a $15 bottle of medicine did the trick. (08/22/2007)
By CandyCane
RE: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
I will have to try the mineral oil in the ears. I also found on a Google search, that you can use a small amount of dish washing liquid in warm water and an old cloth, to gently wipe the ears off to get the build up off the outer part of the ears. (09/09/2007)
By marvins owner
RE: Black Build Up In My Kitten's Ear
I cleaned my BeffieKat's ears with cotton-wool dipped in Johnson's Baby Oil. It cleaned his ears beautifully. (09/09/2007)
Q-tips are okay to use on cats. Just don't go any further than you can see and be ready to pull it out of your cat starts shaking his head or tries to scratch it's ears. (11/13/2007)
