Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 year and 6 months old | 9.5 lbs
My cats ears have been twitching for a while and she has no fleas. I took her to the vet and he checked her for ear mites and said she was clean. He said her ears looked a little red from inside but probably because she was an indoor-outdoor cat and it was hot outside that day. She started scratching her ear now and she has drawn blood on one of her ears. There is still no fleas. What could cause her ears to twitch randomly and itch her so bad to the point to where she draws blood?
5 Answers
Published on August 17th, 2017
Fleas or mites would still be at the top of my list. Unless there are a very large number of mites, you may not always see them by just looking. Collecting a sample of ear wax and looking under a microscope can help you find a few, but often ear mite treatment is still used even when there is only suspicion and no actual evidence of ear mites. Fleas don't live on a pet, they only jump on at meal times, so it is easy for a cat owner to miss them - especially since cats are very good at grooming them off before you can see! I would talk to your vet about a prescription topical flea and mite treatment called Revolution. Since Frida Katio (wonderful name, btw!) is indoor/outdoor that lives in Texas (parasites love this state, too!), she should be on a good preventative year round. Other potential causes for the scratching and twitching include bacterial or yeast ear infection (would need diagnosis by looking under a microscope), nasopharyngeal polyp (may need an exam under anesthesia or using and endoscope), or other allergies, like environmental or food.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Published on
I would be highly suspicious of an ear infection. I would suggest a return trip to the veterinarian. You can hopefully book this as a "revisit" which is a reduced price or even free. Outer ear infections can progress to inner ear infections. Inner ear infections are very difficult to treat, are very painful and have serious potential complications, such as hearing loss and problems with balance. i would suggest returning to the vet as soon as you can, the vet may be willing to charge a discounted "recheck" exam fee rather then a full consult fee as you are returning for the same problem. The vet may also take a swab of the infected ear and send it away for analysis, so that the exact pathogens causing the infection can be identified and therefore a specific antibiotic can be used. I hope that this answer was helpful, and more importantly that Frida Katlo ear gets better soon. Warmest regards to you both.
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Published on May 11th, 2017
Unless your kitty has actually been diagnosed with ear mites after microscopic examination of debris from her ear by a veterinarian, I would be suspicious that she may actually have an ear infection, rather than mites. Ear infections are not contagious like mites are, and are usually due to some type of underlying allergy or other problem. I would recommend taking Seraphiel to the vet for an exam when you are able to. Your vet can take a sample of the material in her ears for analysis to help diagnose the problem, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat it depending on what is found. If needed, they can also discuss options for further work-up for underlying allergy problems that may be causing the ear issues.
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Published on May 12th, 2017
This is an unusual situation. If Seraphiel goes outside and comes into contact with other cats, this could explain why she frequently acquires ear mite infections, but perhaps you are treating her quickly before the mites can be transmitted to your other cat. Even though Seraphiel was diagnosed with ear mites (I assume microscopically by her vet), there is a chance that she could have a concurrent bacterial or yeast ear infection, which is often caused by underlying allergies. If this is an ongoing issue, consider starting both cats on Revolution or Advantage Multi on a monthly basis to prevent fleas, ear mites, heartworm disease and some intestinal parasites.
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Published on August 28th, 2018
Did you get a definite diagnosis of ear mites from a vet? It is actually very uncommon for dogs to have ear mites. Ear mites are usually diagnosed on stray dogs or dogs that are not well taken care of. My guess is that the ears are not getting better because your dog probably doesn't have ear mites. Ear mites are very easy to treat so if she did have mites I would have expected it to be better already as well. I suggest you get her to your vet so they can give you a definitive diagnosis as to what is actually causing the ear problem. That way you can get the appropriate treatment. Usually ear problems are due to a yeast infection, a bacterial infection or a combination of the two. I hope this helps. Best wishes.
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