Ear Mites or Wax?

How old is the cat?  How long have you had him/her?  Does the cat go outdoors?  What is the general health of the cat, otherwise?

Well, if the vet looked in the ears with a microscope and didn't see any mites - then you have to trust your vet. It is odd to have such dirty ear's though. I would clean them with mineral oil gently to loosen the dirt and then gently wipe clean. Then you could use a sensitive baby wipe gently just in the opening of the ear to finish the cleaning. Also - if it were ear mite's, your cat would be shaking and scratching at his ears and the ears at times would be pointing out to the side from the irritation.

My vet says (and she's sharp) that ear mites are almost exclusively an opportunistic infection of kittens (less than 9 months or so) and immune-compromised cats.  The last time we thought we had a cat with ear mites, it turned out to be a yeast infection, which she says is much more common in adult cats.

 

Of course, any cat that goes outdoors is exposed to ear mites, so nothing is impossible.

No, a haircut is not going to help this issue, so far as I know.  You'll have to check with the vet, possibly even suggest a yeast infection.

I've wondered this for a long time myself. Wessie has had a brown waxy substance in his ears for his whole life. I've had him for nearly 4 years, and it never went away. I've tried cleaning with oil as instructed on a paper that came with his adoption papers, but nothing has ever happened. I've pretty much decided that it must just be ear wax. After I clean his ears, the next day they are dirty again.

Did the Vet give you an ear solution to clean it up with?  When you clean it, does it completely go away?  What were you searching under when you found that picture that you posted? Does it smell?  I don't have any experience with ear mites, but I do have a little experience with both an over abundance of ear wax AND an ear infection, both in the same cat.  The infection definitely gave off a smell.  The extra ear wax looks almost black to me, so we have to clean out his ears once every few weeks now, and this just started recently (he's 16), but it's just in his ear, not outside, like your picture shows.

 

If you are cleaning it completely up, and the next day it's right back, then maybe you could call the Vet back and explain that, and ask them how that can be if "it's nothing".  And tell them how your baby seems to be really bothered by it, scratching at it and tilting his earflap.  Has he scratched the fur off? 

 

 

Here is an article I found on ear mites in cat's. http://www.petwave.com/Cats/Health/Ear-Eye/Mites/Symptoms.aspx I am not saying your cat has ear mites - but just some information for you. Another article on how to clean your cat's ears that you might find helpful http://www.ehow.com/how_4576410_removing-ear-wax-cats.html and another good one about ear wax in cat's. http://voices.yahoo.com/treating-persistent-cat-ear-wax-buildup-8443881.html

From what I know - if your cat does in fact have ear mites, it will be very noticeable because your cat will be scratching, shaking his head, the ear's will point out to the side and he will just be uncomfortable looking. If it is just wax buildup - he would not necessarily have such a dramatic response.

Sounds like today is the 2nd time you are to use the ear cleaning solution?  Maybe that will do the trick.   Do you have any further instructions from the Vet after this cleaning?  If he persists in scratching, etc., and the brown spotting around his ear returns, then I would definitely call the Vet and advise them and ask how this can be "nothing".