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My cat's ears are dirty, bleeding, and painful. Is it an emergency?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered

First I want to start by saying that my cat is a house cat and never goes outside. However, for the past month or so his ears have been very dirty looking and there are bald spots on/near them. The vets in my area are emergency only right now due to COVID-19 so I haven’t been able to get him in. However, tonight I noticed that he is bleeding on both ears and it looks pretty bad. He also growled when I touched his head/ears a couple times and he NEVER does that. I’m really worrried! Any advice?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 9th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Simba. Poor boy! I suspect he has an ear infection, which can be caused by yeast or bacteria. If he's bleeding from both ears, this is a very bad infection and could constitute an emergency. I would find to a vet to see him now to get this treated. Leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss. I hope this helps!

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