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My cat's ears are brown inside, but no gunk. Could it be ear mites?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

I believe my cats have ear mites but would like to make sure before I make the trek into the vet's office. Please see the attached photos of their ears. Now they do not have any built-up gunk that I can see, just the brown discolouring in the ears that used to be white

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4 Answers

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Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

Veterinarian

Published on October 28th, 2019

Hi and thanks for posting. An ear mite diagnosis is made when the material in the ears is put on a slide and evaluated under a microscope. I can't tell from just a picture alone. Usually ear mites are incredible itchy and cats who have ear mites will often have a great deal of brown or black debris in the ears and they will itch at their ears frequently. Sometimes they will have a secondary skin infection around their ears due to the intense scratching. If you are concerned about ear mites, my recommendation would be to see your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis.

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 3rd, 2018

    It appears that your kitty is suffering from an ear infection which could be caused by ear mites, bacteria or a fungus. You will need to take him to your veterinarian for an ear exam and correct diagnosis as each of these causes are treated differently, Your vet will take an ear swab and look at it under the microscope. He may also prepare the swab in such a way that he can identify bacteria and fungi. Treatment for mites is usually either acaricidal ear drops which will have to be given over a period of time to kill the mites and their eggs and larvae or injections, bacterial infections are treated wit antibiotic ear drops and fungi (usually yeasts) will also be treated with ear drops. Please take bear to a vet soon, as an ear infection is very itchy at best and painful at worst. There is always a chance that your cat can suffer hearing loss as well.

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 3rd, 2017

    Yes it sounds like ear mites, your veterinarian can easily treat that with specific ear drops, so I would strongly suggest a check up. Other differentials could be ear infection (bacteria) or presence of other skin parasites like fleas or other type of mites. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on April 26th, 2019

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is in fact likely ear mites. This typically responds well to therapy. It is recommended to get a diagnosis by a veterinarian first which is easily accomplished on an ear exam. I recommend you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can check for this and start therapy accordingly based on findings. Best of luck!

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I was told before on here that coffee colored looking ears on cats are ear-mites as there’s aren’t like dogs with wax. I have attached some pics of the cats ears. Do I need miticide and/or ear cleanser for them? How often to clean?
Hello. There is no way to know if this is ear mites without a thorough otoscopic exam or by looking at a sample of the ear debris under a microscope for the presence of mites. To me, this looks like the normal accumulation of wax as seen in cats. You can take some gentle pet ear cleaner & saturate a cotton ball. Then wipe the parts of the ear you can visualize with the cotton ball. Do not stick anything into the ear, especially Q-tips. You can clean the ears as often as necessary to keep them looking clean. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
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My cat has brown buildup in his ears...is it just wax or could he have an infection? I don’t think it’s ear mites because he isn’t itching excessively and my three other cats have not been affected by it.
Hello. This ear looks like a normal, healthy ear with some wax buildup. Ear infections typically will have classic symptoms of odor, redness, inflammation and often discomfort or itchiness. Your cat’s ear looks good, but if he is experiencing any discomfort or rubbing/scratching at the ear, have your vet check it out. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.
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Hello! I believe my cat has earmites and I'm not sure what to do. She won't let me touch her ears and it's been like this for a while. She is always scraching them and blackish brown stuff is coming out in little pieces. I read she could also have an
Yes if you believe your cat has ear mites, I would see a veterinarian very soon to have this diagnosed and treated. Ear mites can be very irritating and itchy. Left untreated, secondary bacterial infection will occurrence in and around the ears as a result of the chronic itching. The appearance of black coffee ground like debris in the ear can be a sign of ear mites. I would have her seen soon. Thank you for using Boop by Petco!
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Is this just a dirty cat ear, aka lots of wax build up because its dirty? or do you think its possibly mites, or god forbid an infection?
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My cat seems to have something irritating his ear. Not all of the time, but occasionally he will lay his ear flat and squint his eye. While this is happening he’s also rubbing his ear with his paw and shaking his head. Could this be ear mites or a bu
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Does my kitten have an ear infection? At first i suspected ear mites but ive treated him with Revolution for the past two months and he still has dark grains in his ears and excessive ear wax. He scratches his ears and one ear looks worse than the ot
It is difficult to diagnose an ear infection without examining the discharge under a microscope to see if there are any bacteria, yeast, or mites. Based on the pictures, it does not appear to be a large amount of discharge. There aren't any OTC ear medications for infections but you could clean the ear with just an ear cleaner labeled for cats and see if that helps. Clean three times a week for now and then once weekly and see if that gets rid of all the discharge. If not, he really needs to go to a vet for treatment.
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I bought this kitten a few weeks ago and I don't think his ears were previously cleaned . I noticed that his ears are really really dirty. Is it just debris or ear mites or maybe some infection? He doesn't scratch his ears much and I don't smell Any
If Mau had ear mites or an infection, we would expect him to be scratching at his ears. Since his ears do not seem to bother him and there is no redness, swelling or odor, I would suspect that it is just debris that you are seeing in his ears. You can use a cotton ball (not a Q-tip) to gently wipe away the debris. You should not need to use any ear cleaner or medication. If the debris is getting worse or Mau starts scratching at his ears, I would certainly recommend having your veterinarian examine his ear canals. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
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My 6 month old kitten (indoors) has what looks like brown wax or gunk inside his ears. They don't seem to be bothering him, and he doesn't shake his head or scratch at them, but not sure if this is something I should be concerned with. He had a vet v
Usually they are itchy when they have ear mites. It may just be some waxy buildup. Use a product such as this daily for 2-3 days, then once a week for a few weeks, then as needed: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-ear-cleanser If at any point he does seem to be scratching at his ears or shaking his head, take him in to the vet so they can check for ear mites or a bacterial or yeast infection. Thanks for asking Boop by Petco!
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Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Does my cat have ear mites? (MALE, NEUTERED, 4 MONTHS, DOMESTIC SHORTHAIR/MIX) Judging by this picture of the inside of my cats ear, do you think he has ear mites or is it just dirty? He's been scratching at his ear for the past few days as well, if
Hello and thank you for using Boop by Petco! Unfortunately, the only way to confirm ear mites is to a swab of the ears and looking under the microscope. Typically cats with ear mites present with a large amount of thick, dark debris in the ear canal with complaints of persistent ear scratching +/- head shaking. So to answer you question, Oliver's presentation is highly suspicious for ear mites. He definitely needs to see a veterinarian to confirm this and treat the underlying cause (i.e. mites, bacterial infection). Unfortunately there is no home remedy for ear problems and your vet will want to examine the ear canal before prescribing medications, as some medications can be harmful if there is damage with in the canal. Also we want Oliver to be comfortable and a lot of times cats can cause external trauma to the face and ear from excessive scratching and rubbing. Hopefully this information is helpful and Oliver is feeling better soon!
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Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
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