Gently scratch the skin at the top of the head between the ears, or gently twist and pull the ears. Be very careful not to hurt the cat or pull too hard. Ear-oriented cats also like to have a knuckle lightly rubbed inside their ear.
The ears - Some cats like their ears scratched, rubbed, or gently twisted. A few even go for having a knuckle rubbed against their ears' exteriors. If your cat appears to have very itchy ears, ask the vet to take a look at them. Itchiness could signal mites or allergies.
Ear Trauma in Cats. Except for fight wounds, most ear injuries in cats are self-inflicted by scratching. This can leave the ear inflamed and scabbed, or the ear can become swollen from abscess (infection) or hematoma (blood pooled under the skin due to trauma).
Ear infections cause pain and discomfort, and the ear canals are sensitive. Many cats will shake their head and scratch their ears attempting to remove the debris and fluid from the ear canal. The ears often become red and inflamed and may develop an offensive odor.
Lifting a cat or suspending their body weight by the scruff is unnecessary and could be painful.
Pulling on a cat's tail could actually paralyze your cat. Oftentimes, when a cat's tail is damaged, it results in rear paralysis in the body. Severing the connection within the tail to the rest of the body means that the brain can't send signals through the tail to the rest of the body.
Use a cotton pad to wipe out debris from your cat's ear. Again, never put anything, including your finger, into your kitty's ear canal.
Cats typically don't like being petted on their tummy, legs/feet, or tail. Of course, there are always outliers—some cats will love every bit of affection, no matter where they're touched or who's doing it. But generally, you shouldn't pet a cat you don't know on their stomach or extremities.
Ear-tipping is extremely safe and is performed while the cat is already anesthetized for spay or neuter surgery. There is little or no bleeding involved, and it is not painful to the cat. The ear heals up quickly and the tipped ear doesn't detract one bit from the appearance or beauty of the cat.
A. Lifting a cat or suspending its body weight by its scruff (the skin on the back of its neck) is unnecessary and potentially painful. And it's certainly not the most respectful or appropriate way to pick up or handle your cat.
Never hold down, shake or hit your cat. Physically harming your cat can actually make the situation worse and cause her to lash out or become withdrawn. Also, cats have a hard time associating the physical punishment with the bad behavior, so you're not actually training her to stop doing it.
It was once thought that the ear fold was the only impact on cross-bred Scottish Folds but in the early 1990s, Australian veterinary researchers proved that all cats with the ear fold will develop the painful effects of osteochondrodysplasia to varying degrees.
They can do that because kittens have a reflex in which their bodies go totally limp when picked up by the scruff—a reflex that is lost by adolescence. What is often seen as “relaxation” in a scruffed cat is actually behavioral shutdown. In adult cats, scruffing triggers fear and stress rather than relaxation.
International Cat Care is against the use of scruffing as a method of restraint, because of the stress and distress it can cause to cats.
Shouting. Raised voices will terrify your cat. Feline ears are extra sensitive to loud and especially high-pitched noises. A cat who hears shouting will flatten her ears, lower her head, and look for a place to hide, away from the sound and fury.
Famously independent, sometimes falsely assumed to be immune to feelings, cats are in truth super-sensitive to emotions, sound, and stress. Perhaps because felines lack the eager-to-please openness of their canine colleagues, humans overlook the big and small ways they can break a cat's spirit.
Gently scratch the skin at the top of the head between the ears, or gently twist and pull the ears. Be very careful not to hurt the cat or pull too hard. Ear-oriented cats also like to have a knuckle lightly rubbed inside their ear.
Cats typically have long, narrow ear canals, unlike human ear canals, which are short. The eardrum separates the outer ear and middle ear. Also known as the tympanic membrane, the eardrum is a thin membrane that is fragile and susceptible to damage and disease.
“They're sensitive creatures and susceptible to developing things like irritant reactions when we put things into their ears,” Cain says. “Unless your cat has an ear problem, for which you should go to your veterinarian, I wouldn't do a lot of cleaning at home.
Allergies to environmental allergens (for example, house dust, house dust mites, pollen from trees, grasses and weeds, and molds) and foods commonly cause inflammation of the skin (dermatitis) in cats. Allergies can cause redness and itchiness of the ears. Ear infections are also common.
A cat's ears move with their emotional state; this can tell you how they are feeling. Cats hold their ears flat back against their head when they are feeling frightened or aggressive. Never attempt to handle a cat that has its ears pinned back as you might get scratched or bitten.
Because cats are drawn to and survive on animal proteins, this combo–whether it comes for your ears, your dog's ears, or another cat's ears–is simply a source of protein to them. Because kitties have only around 500 tastebuds, whereas humans have anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000, they don't taste things the same way we do.
Never use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to clean your cat's ears — these substances just aren't safe for your kitty. Also, never use cotton-tipped swabs, like Q-tips, in a cat's ear at home. It's just too easy to push debris and wax further down into the ear canal.