Ear itching?

akbeck98

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I have two cats from the same litter that are a year old. They will be going for their wellness exams in a few weeks.

The past few days they have been scratching their heads with their hind legs. They have each done this just a few times in past few days. I have looked into their ears and there is no debris or build up. Is it normal for a cat to itch their head at times? Could there be something in there, but I just can't see it? Should I change their appointments to sooner?

They are both indoor only cats too...

Thanks in advance!

Amanda
 
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akbeck98

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I notice Jaiden itching tonight once and it's more like on her face right below her hear then really in her ear.
 

kittycorner

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It could be an ear infection-although pretty uncommon for them both to have it. It could be ear mites although you said they are indoor kitties, hmmmm. Have you changed foods recently? It is possible that they may have a food allergy. When I first realized Uno had food allergies, I noticed him scratching his ears alot, as well as his asthma got really bad. Those are my ideas, hopefully the vet will have an answer for you that is both treatable and not too painful to adminsiter medicine to. Give both of them a scratch behind the ears for me (that should feel pretty good I would think) and I will pray for an answer soon!
 

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It could also be fleas. Are they on a flea-preventitive medication (Advantage, Frontline, Revolution, etc.)? Even indoor kitties need it sometimes, as flea eggs could be left over from previous flea infestations and fleas can be brought in on our clothes--I found a flea on me last night!
 
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akbeck98

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Originally Posted by cloud_shade

It could also be fleas. Are they on a flea-preventitive medication (Advantage, Frontline, Revolution, etc.)? Even indoor kitties need it sometimes, as flea eggs could be left over from previous flea infestations and fleas can be brought in on our clothes--I found a flea on me last night!
They are not on preventitive meds for fleas. I have checked their bodies and do not see any fleas or bites. If it would be fleas wouldn't they itch other places too? I guess I just never noticed that they itched with their back legs like that and it worried me. If it doesn't get worse do you think I can wait for the vet appointment in a few weeks?
 
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akbeck98

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Originally Posted by kittycorner

It could be an ear infection-although pretty uncommon for them both to have it. It could be ear mites although you said they are indoor kitties, hmmmm. Have you changed foods recently? It is possible that they may have a food allergy. When I first realized Uno had food allergies, I noticed him scratching his ears alot, as well as his asthma got really bad. Those are my ideas, hopefully the vet will have an answer for you that is both treatable and not too painful to adminsiter medicine to. Give both of them a scratch behind the ears for me (that should feel pretty good I would think) and I will pray for an answer soon!
No everything is the same! We have had the air conditioning on a lot the past two weeks, as its been really hot outside. Could it just be the air quaility inside?
 

catlover19

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My cats have both had ear mites and they have never been outside. I would take them to get checked for ear mites. My cats both were scratching right behind their ears and in their ears and turned out to be earmites. It got so bad they both had 2 cuts on the back of their heads that kept bleeding. I got them earmite medication and they are both fine now.
 
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akbeck98

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Thanks for the heads up on the ear mites. Could the ear mites be seen or are they way down in the ear?
 

catlover19

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They look kind of like coffee grinds in their ears. It was visible in both of my cats ears. I knew they had ear mites but to get the medicine I had to take them to the vet and pay for an earmite check. It was worth it though because they had really bad cuts on their heads. I wish I had noticed it before it got that bad, but we thought it was fleas at first and bathed them all...including our dogs and got them all flea collars.
 

yosemite

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Sounds like ear mites to me as well.

Just a heads up - don't EVER use flea collars on your cats. They can cause damage and even death to cats.
 
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akbeck98

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But I can't see Anything in their ears that is what is confusing me! And they don't itch them all the time, just a few times the past week.
 

liberty's buddy

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I say it is maybe a mild yeast infection. They can spread from one animal to another. You need to see a vet before it gets worse. I have had to use Tresaderm drops twice with Liberty because of ear infections (including right now). Both times the only visible signs were she itched her ears sometimes. My vet and I both think Liberty's ear infections were related to seasonal allergies (both happened this time of year).
 
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akbeck98

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THanks! I will call the vet today!
 
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