Do ear mites cause pain in cats?

Cat owners want to know. Do ear mites cause pain in cats? It is tricky to know sometimes such is the domestic cat’s ability to hide pain. However, we can rely on some top experts to provide an answer to the question: Do ear mites cause pain in cats?

Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

Ear mites in cats are deeply distressing for the cat. Photos: Right: paws-and-effect.com – Left: Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals.

Ear mites are “deeply distressing and uncomfortable for your cat” say experienced and respected veterinarians. You might not be aware of your cat’s discomfort so the question in the title is a very valid one. It is important to realise that your cat will be suffering if she has ear mites. The condition needs to be treated as soon as possible and a cat owner should really avoid home treatments in this instance as it may make things worse or delay effective treatment and therefore prolong the extreme discomfort. It is worth adding that ear mite infections are one of the most common cat health problems. Potentially therefore there are many distressed cats out there in homes.

Ear mites crawl deep into the ear canal. This makes treatment difficult. Also mites can cause secondary infections. As a cat scratches her ears it can cause rawness, scabs and hair loss around the ears. There may be a chronic bacterial infection to compound the discomfort. Please don’t delay professional treatment.

Quote and reference: Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook and myself.