Icky Ears

Hi All, 

I have a one year 5 month old male cat. He has had ear mites in the past but has had them treated. About 6 months later he developed an ear infection, which was also treated. The vet has given us an ear cleaning solution and said that because he is still growing that may have caused the infection. Months later, he has what looks like bits of earwax, he doesn't seem too bothered by it, but my friend told me her cat's ears are always clear. He scratches them very rarely, they don't seem irritated (like they did when I took him to his last vet check), my question is: Is some earwax normal? Should I clean them often? He hates when I do clean them so I try to do it only when I feel he needs it (once a month). Any advice/ help would be much appreciated!

I think some cats are just more done to getting a little bit of gunk in the ears. Sometimes the shape of the ear can make it harder for them to get int there and clean it out. I have two cats: one who never has any and another who does. 

I wouldn't be surprised if he has some just because so much was done to the ear when he was young. Because he has this history I would err on the side of caution and have him re-checked by the vet just to be sure there are no mites and that he doesn't have an infection or other ear damage. If he checks out fine then that's part of who he is. 

With mine I pretty much just let it be. Because he's a freak and actually enjoys it every now and again I sit down with a wet paper towel and gently wipe away the buildup. Whatever you do never try to clean down inside the ear, and never use anything like a bobby pin or a Q-tip/cotton swab. That can lead to pushing gunk down further and creating a blockage or, if he moves, can cause serious damage to the inner ear. Ask the vet if it's worthwhile to use the ear cleaning solution or if you should just let it be.