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My cat is scratching her ear and eye area raw. Is it an ear infection?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 year and 6 months old | 9 lbs

My year and a half old, female, indoor cat has been scratching the area between her eye and ear so much that she is bleeding and scabbing. She is a white cat, so it is extremely evident how red and irritated her skin is. She's never done this before and I feel so helpless since I have no idea why or what to do, What would you recommend?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 6th, 2016

Poor Lily! She could have an ear infection, which is why she is scratching that area so much. I would take her into a vet now for an exam. The vet can confirm if she does have an ear infection, and can treat it. It's important to have any potential ear infections examined and treated promptly, as leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on January 24th, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to allergies. A cone would be a great idea though the possible allergies would have to be addressed so that this can be avoided. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 7th, 2017

    This can be a sign of skin infection. If your kitty has been scratching enough to make her ears bleed, she needs to have her veterinarian take a look into why that is happening. She could have an ear infection with bacteria or yeast, ear mites, or allergies causing this and need medication to treat the infection. They can look at the spot of hairloss at the same time and determine if a secondary skin infection is present.

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