Ally

If someone has a cat with mucky ears, how do you clean them out?

Can it be done by the owner or is it something a vet has to do?

ericat

I have that often as the kittens have an outside run and they love to play in the dirt. I use a damp peace of cotton wool to clean the ear.

suzoo

I guess it depends if the ears are dirty with ordinary dirt or if the cat has ear mites. Ear mites look like chunky black bits and will return again & again if you just clean them out without using medication such as Otomite or Revolution to kill the mites.
You can use gauze squares with ear cleaner which you can get at a petstore or through your Vet clinic. I use absorbant applicators that Vets use to clean the ears (which look like longer Q-tips that humans use).. but you need to be careful you use them properly and don't dig too deep to cause injury to the ear canal.

__________________
~Sue~
Montana~Kokoroo~Wiley~Wilson~
Manuel ~Pablo ~Lucia

ericat

Too true. Be very careful not to stick anything to deep in that ear. I do not trust myself for that. I was talking of wiping with a wad of cottonwool on my finger. If it is a rescue cat then I think a good cleaning needs a vet as there is often infection involved too. For ear mite you can use a drop! of sweet oil in the ear to kill them and loosen the wax. If it is a rescue cat then I think a good cleaning needs a vet as there might be infection involved too. Lately over here in South Africa there are new drops that can be spot on the neck it will kill mite, flees and worms.