Ear mites

I'm fairly sure Tiny has ear mites. He was a stray, and had fleas; he's shaking his head and scratching his ears, and I found a lot of little scabs on his head when I went over him with a flea comb--I assume this was from scratching his ears before I clipped his claws. Today I looked in his ear and saw a bunch of gunk in it--dark debris, which I think is also a sign of ear mites.

So I'm getting him checked out on Aug. 7 at SICSA, which is basically an animal-rescue organization that does low-cost spay/neuter and vet visits, and which, if he tests negative for FIV/FLV, can help me find him a home. I can't afford anything more expensive unless it's absolutely necessary (in which case I'd end up with a lot of credit card debt).

From what I've read, ear mites are an annoyance, but not very dangerous unless they damage the eardrum. I haven't seen anything that says you can really treat them at home--and I have no experience with cleaning out a cat's ears, which is what you'd have to do before you apply medication, anyway. So:

1. Is waiting until Aug. 7 going to be OK? I will keep his claws clipped, so he doesn't hurt himself anymore.

2. Can I do anything to help him feel better until he gets checked out?

Poor thing... he's scratching his ear again. Help?

The kitten we just rescued out of a ditch had earmites. Please go and get him treated ASAP! The vet will probably give you some drops to put in his ears 2x a day. It's important that you try and get the black gunk out first, otherwise the medicine won't do any good. Get what you can out with a cotton ball and use an ear solution cleaner after that to get the rest. My kitty ended up getting a bad ear infection from the ear mites, so get it done soon so you don't eat up with another problem. Good luck!

Of course it would be best to get to the vet, but I don't think it would hurt to wait if you need to.. Cleaning out the ears should be easy enough, and ought to help his ears feel a little better in the meantime. Just use a cotton pad (or ball, I just find the pads easier) and wipe them out. Ear cleaners might make it come out easier, but getting the cotton just a little damp with water ought to be fine (just not very wet, you don't want water standing in the ear, since that could lead to an ear infection).