My Cat Has Black Dirty Ears Inside And I'm Not Sure What To Use To Clean Them And How. Do You Have Any Suggestions?

Cleaning your cat’s ears is a relatively easy process.  First you use a little warm ear cleaner or olive oil to loosen any dirt. Then you use cotton wool to remove oil and dirt.

Here’s the process in more detail.  First, get together all the materials you’ll need.  You can buy proprietary ear cleaner at your local pet shop or at the vet’s.   However ordinary olive oil works just as well and is a lot cheaper and easier to get.  You’ll need a pan of warm water.  And you’ll need some cotton buds or cotton balls and a eye-dropper.

You’ll need somewhere to work, such as a table with a cushion on it, or a kitchen work surface, and it’s a good idea to decide in advance exactly where you’re going to do this as cats sometimes don’t take kindly to being handled in this way.

First place some ear cleaner or olive oil in a pan of warm water and bring it up to body temperature. Use the eye dropper to put a couple of drops into each of the cat’s ears.  Try to get the drops right inside into the ear canal.

Now leave the cat alone for five or 10 minutes.  Your cat will probably shake its head and paw its ears a little, but that’s a good thing as the warm oil is loosening any dirt inside and bringing it to the outer ear where it will be easier to clean.

Finally, put the cat back onto the counter top or work surface and use the cotton balls to carefully wipe away the oil or ear cleaner.  You should find that any dirt should come away.

Black stuff in a cat's ears isn't necessarily caused by mites. I thought my cat had mites, got medication for it several times, but it just made things worse. After reading a lot of info, I believe he has a common bacterial infection.

I am now going to try a 50/50 white vinegar & water solution to clean them (saw hydrogen peroxide may be too harsh and drying).  The vinegar is a popular remedy I have found online that is said to restore the balance of a healthy ear but stops bacterial & yeast growth.

Ok first of call your vet and get an apointment to see him/her. The reason y I say this is that could be a sighn of ear mites. Now if you realy wish to clean your cats ears get some peroxide and cotten swabs and gently swab them clean your cat wont like it so wrap it in an old towl. The vet recomended that you buy ear mite and flea preventing substance. When you apply this keep it on the back of the neck or right behind the ears I no both my cats gaght ear mites last year so have fun.

No one can take the place of a Vet ,but 9 times out of 10 its ear mites and you can get Mineral Oil and apply it to a Q-tip swab and GENTLY apply it to the "black" area to "smother" the mites. As on a human NEVER insert the swab directly into the ear canal. This is not a cure all solution,but if your intent on not paying the expense of a Vet rip,its worth a try.