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Ear & Eye Care For Your Cat
As with any activity that involves handling and sensitive areas, it’s important to slowly get your cat used to you touching their face.
If your cat is nervous, or doesn’t like being handled, it’s a good idea to take some time to get them used to their face being touched before you move onto cleaning their ears and eyes.
Cleaning Your Cat's Eyes
Cats possess remarkably sensitive ears and eyes. So it’s important to regularly check their ears and eyes to make sure they’re in top condition and to know what potential problems to look out for.
Some mild crusty buildup or discharge in your cat’s eyes is common. This can be washed with a damp cloth. However, if it seems excessive or happens too often, it can be a sign of an infection or more serious issues, so it’s wise to consult with a vet.
While most cats won’t require regular eye cleaning, brachycephalic (flat-faced) cats may more commonly experience discharge and should be checked frequently.
It’s best to use an eye cleaner for cats to ensure it is sterile and can help to clean and lubricate their eyes.
Make sure your hands are clean and use eye cleaner on a clean cotton wool or pad to gently wipe your cat’s eyes. Ensure your cat’s eyes are closed and gently wipe from the inside out.
Cleaning Your Cat's Ears
Do I Need to Clean My Cat’s Ears?
Cat’s will generally have clean ears and not require regular cleaning. Their ear wax serves as a natural cleaning agent, working its way out as it clears out foreign objects. A healthy cat should have very little visible wax that’s light coloured.
It is, however, worth doing periodic checks of your cat’s ears for changes and common issues. Knowing what to look out for is important, as well as being confident in gentle cleaning if there’s excess wax buildup or debris in their ears.
If your cat is experiencing pain or discomfort, if you can see redness or swelling, or if you smell a strong odour, you should first consult with your vet to rule out infections or any other serious issues.
How to Clean Your Cat’s Ears
It’s important to use a suitable ear cleaner designed for cats to ensure it does not contain any irritants.
Make sure your hands are clean, gently fold back the outer ear.
Avoid attempting to clean beyond the ear's entrance or inserting anything into the ear, as it could harm their unique ear structure.
If using ear drops that are applied directly into your cat’s ear canal, apply the drops according to the product specifications to each ear. Avoid the tip touching the ear. Massage the base of your cat’s ears. Let your cat shake their head.
Wipe away any excess wax or debris with a cotton ball or pad.
Alternatively, if your cat is not a fan of ear drops, you can use specially formulated ear cleaning wipes instead.
