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How to Deal with a Cat that’s Aggressive toward People

Felines are stereotypically selective with their affection, but cat aggression can be dangerous. First of all, someone could get hurt. Secondly, no one likes to visit a friend whose pet bites and scratches! The first thing you need to do observe your cat for a while so you can identify patterns. Once you recognize the problem, then you can move forward with an appropriate solution.

Potential causes of cat aggression include:

Rough playing

Biting and scratching are instinctive to cats. Your kitty doesn’t need to defend herself like she would in the wild, but she still feels the natural urge to pursue and pounce on her prey—even if she’s playing. If you want your cat to behave around other people, don’t encourage or ignore this behavior. Clap your hands or rattle a coin-filled bottle in front of her when you notice her stalking you. Then redirect her attention with an interactive cat toy. If she manages to scratch or bite, grasp the scruff of her neck—like mother cats do with their kittens—and firmly push her downward while saying no.

Fear

If your cat wasn’t properly socialized as a kitten, she may be fearful around other animals and people. You can’t miss the standard scaredy-cat stance: crouched with her ears laid back, her tail curled inward, and her body leaned away from the potential threat. Her hair may even stand on end. Teach your cat to be less skittish around strangers by having a friend hold her favorite treat in front of her when she’s hungry. Make your cat come to your friend, not vice versa. This way, she learns to trust the people you bring into your home. If she won’t come, have someone she trusts hold the treat while your friend stands by. Do this repeatedly, moving your friend closer each time.

Over-attention

Your cat might enjoy being pet for a while and then all of a sudden attack. In this case, you should look for signs that she’s reached her limit. Those signs include: tail twitching, flattened ears, and head movement toward your hand. Once you notice the signs, stand up and remove her from your lap. Many experts recommend using desensitation to treat petting-induced aggression. Ignore her for several days, then if she initiates affection, pet her for a few minutes, give her a treat, and then back away. Gradually extend the time so she learns to increase her affection threshold.

Dominance

Your cat may treat you and guests in your home like other cats, attempting to dominate you to show where she stands in the hierarchy. She might growl or hiss when you approach, or stand in your way when you try to enter another room. You need to teach her she’s not the leader when it comes to people. The best way to do this is to leave the room she’s in, and withhold attention, affection, and treats until she relaxes. Reward good behaviors with treats to show her people are in control of rewards, and that she’ll only get them by behaving.

Maternal Aggression

If your cat just had kittens she will likely be very protective. Your best bet is to disturb her as little as possible when the kittens are young—especially while they’re nursing. With the right rewards and desensitation, she may allow you to handle the kittens, but this will likely be a challenge.

Medical Problems

If you have no idea why your cat is displaying aggression, you should book an appointment with your vet as there may be a medical problem. Possibilities include distress from mites or fleas, a hormonal imbalance, arthritis of the spine or limbs, dental disease, or a neurological condition. This would cause your cat to growl or hiss when handled.

As with any training technique, consistency is crucial. It may take a while to change your cat’s aggressive behavior, but you can do it if you stick to your guns!

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Feline Nutrition: a Healthy Diet for Your Cat

Once your cat turns a year old, he’ll be ready to take on an adult diet. Kittens need extra protein, vitamins, minerals, and fats to support their energy and growth needs, but adult cats require far less.

There are a lot of brands and varieties out there. While the higher-quality ones are more expensive, they provide more nutrition per serving—meaning your cat won’t need to eat as much. Since every cat has unique needs, you should ask your veterinarian for food recommendations during your cat’s last checkup before adulthood.

Some cat food basics to keep in mind:

  • Although you can feed your adult cat once a day, leaving him dry food to “free feed” on after that, it may be better to give him two daily servings to prevent overeating.
  • Consider a combination diet of moist and dry food. Wet food provides a good water-to-protein balance, while dry food helps keep your cat’s teeth clean.
  • Cats need taurine—an essential amino acid found only in animal-based protein. A vegetable-based diet is inadvisable.
  • Consider rotating your cat’s moist food selection so that he doesn’t get bored.
  • Clean your cat’s water bowl daily, and make sure it is always full.

If your cat isn’t getting the nutrition he needs, you very well may see changes in his coat—matted and faded hair, for example. Consult your veterinarian before supplementing his diet to ensure you don’t do any further harm.

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10 Common Skin and Hair Problems and Treatments for Cats

Cats may deal with a number of skin and hair problems in their lifetimes. You can treat many of these conditions at home with over-the-counter creams and medications, but others require medical attention.  Some of the more common problems include:

10. Eosinophilic ulcer: a lesion that can occur near the upper lip. Diagnosis requires a skin sample or biopsy to rule out cancer. Small lesions may heal themselves; if they’re more extensive, your vet may prescribe antibiotics, steroids, or antihistamines.

9. Eosinphilic granuloma: raised red circular plaque on the abdomen or inner thighs. Causes include hypersensitivity to flea bites, reaction to food, and environmental allergens. Diagnosis and treatment are the same as above.

8. Feline acne: much like human acne, it’s caused by stress, poor grooming habits, and overactive sebaceous glands. For mild cases, treatment involves cleaning and topical vitamins; more severe cases require antibiotics.

7. Feline cowpox virus infection: an uncommon skin condition that affects cats that hunt small rodents. It enters the skin through a bite wound from the rodent, and shows a few days later as an ulceration. The lesions usually heal within weeks of appearing; but a secondary infection will require antibacterial therapy.

5. Harvest Mites: a larvae that feeds on cats’ skin, most commonly on the ear flaps or on the area between the toes. Your vet may need to perform a microscopic exam of a superficial skin scraping to identify them. Insecticides are a highly effective treatment.

4. Impetigo: an inflammatory skin condition that causes pus-filled blisters on the abdomen and hairless areas. These blisters break easily, causing the disease to spread. To treat, dust the area with an antiseptic powder. If the impetigo persists, contact your vet.

3. Ringworm: a highly contagious fungal infection that can affect the hair, skin, or nails, creating scaly lesions. It’s transmitted by direct contact with fungal spores on an infected animal, or an area where the animal’s visited. Treatment usually involves topical creams; but you may need to shave your cat for it to be effective.

2. Stud Tail: an over secretion of the sebaceous glands near the base of the tale. You’ll notice greasy, matted hair, or worse, hair loss near the infected area. To treat stud tale, you’ll need to apply a tar and sulfa shampoo twice daily. Consult your vet if the hair follicle is infected.

1. Squamous cell carcinoma: a type of cancer that affects the skin, mostly around the facial tissue. Symptoms include patches of missing hair; lesions or sores; vomiting and diarrhea; and bleeding from the ears, nose, and mouth. Although squamous cell carcinoma is incurable, chemotherapy and radiation can help ease the pain.

When it comes to feline skin and hair problems, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If store-bought treatments are ineffective, consult your veterinarian for further direction.

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Natural Balance Pet Food – Pricing Issue in Microcosm

There is a brewing battle between the manufacturers of Natural Balance Pet Food and independent pet supply owners. The main crux of the conflict is all about the implementation of the Minimum Advertised Price or MAP. Admittedly the market leader when it comes to the premium pet food products, the manufacturers of Natural Balance Pet Food would want to streamline the distribution structure by rationalizing the pricing scheme all the way down to the end users. This is probably the main strategy of the company in maintaining a distinctive branding that will distinguish their premium lines from other brands.

Unfortunately, this pricing strategy is perceived to be too rigid by a considerable number of retail pet food chains. Its imposition seems to run counter to the pricing strategies being adopted by these retail outlets. Worse, this high pricing level is construed by the smaller players in the market as tacit accommodation and protection of corporate clients by the company. Rightly or wrongly, the imposition of MAP is turning out to be a flashpoint in the relationship of the company with independent pet food outlets.

Most owners of retail pet food outlets see the 10% upward adjustment in the price of Natural Balance Pet Food as a form of encroachment on their business independence. Definitely, any form of meddling will not sit well to them. The price differential imposed on Natural Balance Pet Food is even considered by many as onerous. While most of these dog and cat food retail outlets agree that Natural Balance Pet Food are a notch above the rest in terms of quality, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they can unilaterally impose high prices for their products.

This pricing scheme is such a sensitive issue for retailers as it is seen as their single most significant differential advantage over corporate distributors and retailers of the premium pet food lines. They are willing to go the extra mile to protect their business interests.

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All about Cat Poisoning

You probably know many of the substances that are poisonous to cats: household cleaners, antifreeze, insecticides. There are a few more that may surprise you, like aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen, and certain household plants. If your kitty nibbles on a few leaves she may just have an upset stomach, but worst case scenario, it could be fatal. Lilies, for example, cause severe kidney damage and can cause death after just a few hours.

Other common poisonous plants include:

  1. Marijuana
  2. Sago Palm
  3. Tulip/Narcissus bulbs
  4. Azalea/Rhododendron
  5. Oleander
  6. Castor Bean
  7. Cyclamen
  8. Kalanchoe
  9. Yew
  10. Amaryllis
  11. Autumn Crocus
  12. Chrysanthemum
  13. English Ivy
  14. Peace Lily (AKA Mauna Loa Peace Lily)
  15. Pothos
  16. Schefflera

It’s important to know the signs of poisoning so you can take action right away. If your cat starts vomiting, drooling excessively, staggering, struggling with breathing, or losing consciousness, call your veterinarian. He’ll want a thorough description of what your cat ate as well as what symptoms you noticed. If you can’t get in touch with your vet, call the National Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You’ll have to pay $60 on your credit card as a consultation fee. Be prepared to share the species, breed, age, sex, weight, symptoms, and information about the poison ingested.

To be safe you should have a first-aid kit handy:

  • A bottle of hydrogen peroxide, 3 percent USP to induce vomiting
  • Turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medicine syringe to administer peroxide
  • Saline eye solution
  • Artificial tear gel to lubricate eyes after flushing
  • Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid for bathing an animal after skin contamination

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How to Remove Ticks from Your Home or from Your Pet

If you found a tick on your cat or dog, you need to take action right away to remove the tick and eggs from your house. The longer they’re around, the more eggs they’ll lay—meaning there’s a greater chance they’ll attach to you of your family members.

In case you’re unfamiliar, here’s how ticks operate: these parasites stick their heads into skin and feed on the blood, growing larger with every drop. When the tick reaches a certain size, it uses the fur or hair to lay eggs in. Both people and pets can get Lyme disease so it’s crucial to prevent ticks from multiplying.

1. After you find a tick on your pet, pull it out carefully by the head with fine-pointed tweezers (while wearing latex gloves).

Be careful not to squeeze the tick’s body, as this can inject more potential pathogens into you or your pet.

2. The next step is to thoroughly clean every area your dog or cat’s laid.

Use your vacuum’s crevice tool to get in the corners and cracks of furniture. You may even want to use a specialized chemical cleaner to be sure all the eggs are gone. Many pet stores sell medicated sprays and shampoos you can apply to kill eggs on your pet. If you have an outdoor cat or dog, you should also trim the grass to get rid of any ticks out there.

Your best bet is to be far more thorough than you deem necessary when you removing ticks from your home. Only then can you be certain your family and pets will stay healthy.

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How to Tell if Your Cat’s Allergic to Her Food

Food allergies are quite common among cats—in fact, they account for ten percent of all feline allergies. They can manifest as young as five months old, or they may take years to develop. Odds are your cat won’t purr her way up to you at the dinner table, and candidly tell you her food is making her sick. Not a problem!

If your cat’s allergic to her food, the signs will be pretty clear. You’ll notice any or all of the following:

  • Scabs around her face and neck
  • Flaky or dry skin
  • Excessive scratching
  • Chewing on her limbs
  • Hair loss (oozing bald patches)
  • Changed toilet habits

One way to determine if food allergies are to blame is to switch her to a hypoallergenic diet—incorporating proteins and carbohydrates that are new to her—for twelve weeks to see if the symptoms clear up. Avoid dairy, fish, and beef, as they account for 80 percent of all food allergies—and be sure not to feed her anything from the table. After that, go back to the old food for a week or two. If they come back, you’ll know for sure that her diet is the problem. If you’re in doubt, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. He may perform tests to be sure there isn’t another problem, like Sarcoptic mange and inhalant allergy, also known as atopy.

Treatment for food allergies is quite straight-forward: avoid the offending agent, and stick to a diet that’s balanced with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

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Signs and Treatment for Cat Asthma

Have you noticed your cat coughing, wheezing, or having dry heaves, almost like she can’t catch her breath? Feline asthma just might be the culprit—especially if you cat is overweight—and it could fatal if left untreated. Much like human asthma, the condition causes the lungs to constrict and the air passages to go into spasms, making it hard to breathe. Allergens, dust mites, pollen, tobacco smoke, and airborne irritants are all potential causes.

If you suspect your cat has asthma, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian. He will perform a chest X-ray to see if her lungs are over-inflated and a brochoscopy to rule out other respiratory problems; and then prescribe oral or inhalant medication to treat the symptoms. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do at home to keep cat asthma at bay:

  • Keep your cat indoors when outdoor hay fever alerts are high.
  • Use a humidifier to keep moisture in the air. Dry air can exacerbate asthma symptoms.
  • If you smoke cigarettes, take the habit outside.
  • Maintain a consistent cleaning schedule to keep dust mites out of your home.
  • Stop using any new products—laundry detergent of cleaners—that may have caused the asthma symptoms.
  • Switch to dust-free litter.

Even though these changes will help prevent attacks, it’s crucial to properly diagnose and treat feline asthma to prevent long-term damage to your cat’s airways. If you don’t yet have pet insurance, this will be seen as a pre-existing condition and therefore will not be covered—so you may want to purchase a policy before you visit your veterinarian.

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Should You Train Cats like Dogs?

Why don’t we train cats the way we train dogs? The answer is—we do! Dr. Melissa Bain of the Companion Animal Behavior Program at University of California Davis’ veterinary program explains there are actually kitten kindergarten classes that use “positive training.”

Dr. Bain says most people don’t train their cats because they don’t go out in public like dogs, meaning there’s no threat of them attacking a stranger. Still cats can be aggressive toward their owners, and that’s the number one reason people bring them to shelters. She recommends reinforcing good behavior using a clicker—a little plastic gadget that makes a noise when you press it. Basically whenever you see a positive behavior you click and hand over a treat. Your cat will then associate the preceding action with reward. This also enriches your relationship with kitty because it encourages more interaction and communication.

Cat training is so big there’s even a huge annual event dedicated to the cause. The weekend of October 18th 41 breeds of cats competed in the sixth annual CFA-IAMS Cat Championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Karen Thomas, head trainer with IAMS, explains that training can help with daily tasks, like brushing teeth and trimming toe nails. Of course the championship featured more than just sitting and rolling over. Events included basketball and tightrope walking.

You likely don’t need to teach Fluffy human sports, but maybe you could benefit from picking up a clicker.

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Kitten Socialization: Preventing Irrational Fear in Cats

You hate seeing your kitty frightened with dilated pupils and hair standing on end whenever people come over. You’re probably not too keen on her emotional urination or aggressive behavior, either. Teaching her to be a social animal will prevent many common cat fears—like anxiety around strangers or other animals, or fear of going outside in the pet carrier. Since cats aren’t pack animals like dogs, this will take some effort.

The ideal time to begin socializing your kitten is between 3–9 months. However, there are a few things you should consider even earlier than that.

Between 2–7 weeks, kittens go into a “sensitive period” when they learn what to be afraid of. This is actually a good thing because it teaches her to protect herself against actual danger. For example, loud noises should instill fear—this way, she’ll think twice before running into oncoming traffic. During this time you should offer a warm, nurturing environment, free from hostility.  Provide human contact without negative consequences, like punishment or isolation. Also, introduce her to other cats and animals, making sure she doesn’t have a bad experience with them.

This is just the beginning to creating a confident, friendly, not timid or irritable cat.

The first part of socialization involves teaching her to be touched.

  • Play with your kitten for at least two hours a day. Hold and pet her, showing her how to be gentle.
  • If she plays nicely, praise her and give her a treat. If she scratches or bites, say “no”, hand her a toy, and stop playing.
  • In time, take it to the next level—pet her paws, tail, and ears. This way, she’ll learn to tolerate touching in those places, where groomers and vets will need to handle her (and children may, as well).
  • When you touch her ears, rub the insides and stroke different parts. This will help you later when you want to clean your cat’s ears!

Next, train her to deal with strangers. When people come over:

  • Let her come out when she’s ready.
  • If it takes a while, offer a treat to entice her.
  • Once she comes out, encourage your guests to play with her gently. If your kitten plays nicely or seems to be enjoying herself give her a treat, like a small amount of catnip.

Lastly, expose her to new situations and things.

  • Bring her on errands.
  • Take her for walks on a leash (really!)
  • Provide her an ample supply of toys.
  • Travel with her in a comfortable crate or carrier. Put bedding in there so it’s more appealing. Her ability to enter a crate on demand will prove critical in a crisis situation, like a fire.
  • Allow her to hear every-day noises. Just because she’s a baby that doesn’t mean you can’t listen to music at a regular volume or blow dry your hair.

If you train your kitty to accept touching, relax around others, and handle new situations, you’ll help her develop without forming irrational phobias.  Don’t be afraid to handle her and take her outside. If you don’t have fear she likely won’t either!

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How to Tell If Your Cat Is Dying

Losing a pet can be devastating, especially if you haven’t had any time to prepare yourself for the loss. Understanding the signs might make it easier; and at the very least will allow you to make your pet’s last moments peaceful and comfortable. Cat dying symptoms include:

Decreased body temperature. Her body temperature will cool as her heart slows its beats. As a result, she may lose feelings in her limbs and have difficulty to moving.

Not moving from one spot. Cats often find one resting area, and wait out their symptoms there. It may take several hours or days for her to pass; she will likely spend most of it drifting in and out of sleep.

Disorientation. You may notice her staring off into the distance, oblivious to what’s going on around her. Some cats don’t even recognize their owners when they’re dying. Be sure to speak slowly and softly as not to startle her.

Labored breathing. Your cat’s breathing may become rapid and shallow, or it will become slow and heavy. Toward the end, you’ll notice greater lapses between breaths—maybe even a minute apart.

Impaired vision. Cats often lose their sight before dying. Rest assured they generally maintain their hearing—your soothing words will be heard.

Reluctance to eat or drink. As your cat’s body starts shutting down, she will gradually stop eating and drinking, meaning she’ll release less urine and feces. Also, the urine will take on a darker color.

It’s never easy to say goodbye to your pet, especially if she dies without warning. Caring for her in her final moments will help ease her transition and hopefully provide some closure for you.

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How to Make Your Outdoor Cat an Indoor Cat

Indoor cats are safer than outdoor ones; that’s just common sense.

Risks for outdoor cats include parasites, heartworm, leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus (AIDS for cats), skin cancer, hanging or choking, and toxoplasmosis—not to mention the potential for death by car accident.


If your kitty is used to having the lay of the land, you have your work cut out for you, but you can make the transition. Cats are creatures of habit, so don’t expect her to forsake the outdoors cold-turkey. You’ll need to slowly create a new routine by bringing her in for short periods of time.

Offer items to keep her entertained inside—like toys, a cat condo, and a scratching post.

Devote as much time as possible to playing with her.

This will be the main attraction, since she’s likely been isolated in her open-air adventures. If you can get her a feline playmate, that’s even better!


Providing a safe outdoor enclosure will help her during the adjustment period.

This way, she’ll still see the sunlight and feel less confined. You can build your own unit by securing chicken wire to a simple wooden frame. Add shelves, tires, and boxes for climbing and lounging, and make sure to place it in a shaded area to offer respite from the heat. Always supervise your cat when she’s in the enclosure to make sure she doesn’t get out and roam.


If you can’t provide safe outdoor space, you may want to walk her on a leash—really!

It isn’t just for dogs. She probably won’t scamper up to you with the leash lodged between her teeth, but in time she’ll get used to using it. And she’ll grow accustomed to her new lifestyle as it becomes more fun and familiar.

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Your Kitten’s First Year: after Six Months

By six months, your kitten will have grown to be three-quarters of his adult size, meaning his major growth spurt is behind him. In the next six months he’ll grow to full size. During this time, continue what you’ve been doing—attending to his nutritional needs, ensuring his social development, and maintaining his overall health. Your cat will go through many changes in the next several months, and his behavior, appearance, and eating habits will all indicate how well he’s growing up.

Here’s what you can expect throughout the rest of the year:

Months 7–9
Your kitten will develop a new coat in his seventh month. Brush him often to get rid of the hair he sheds. This will be both a cornerstone of your grooming routine and a bonding experience for you and your kitty. By the eight month, your cat’s adult teeth will be in place, so you should introduce teeth-cleaning to the routine, as well.

Month 10–11
He’s just a few months shy of adulthood now. At 10 months, you may want to introduce adult food into his diet. You should still feed him primarily kitten food since he needs the nutrients it provides, but it wouldn’t hurt to start weaning him off it. When he approaches his eleventh month, you can increase the percentage of adult food.

Check his vaccination records and make sure they’re up to date. After his first year, he’ll only need to be checked once annually.

Month 12
By his twelfth month, your kitten will have reached his full size. Now he’ll be ready for an all-adult-food diet, with feedings reduced to once a day. You can keep him at two feedings a day if you’d like by splitting the serving in half.

Year One
Congratulations! You’ve done an amazing job raising your kitten to maturity! From here on out be mindful of his health and play with him whenever you can. He may be an adult now but he’ll always be your kitty—and he’ll always want your attention and affection.

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Your Kitten’s First Year: Month Six Spay Time

Your kitten’s growing quickly and gaining more confidence by the day. Assuming you adopted him after his second month, he should be well-adjusted to his new environment the end of month three. Of course, he’ll still discover new things daily. Your continuing job as parent and protector is to ensure his environment remains safe.

Month 4:

During the fourth month—when your kitten’s still within his major stage of socialization—his senses will develop fully and his eyes will change to their permanent color.

He’ll begin to lose his baby teeth as his adult teeth start pushing through. To help with the soreness, give him a makeshift chew toy, like a drinking straw or a cold washcloth that’s been wrung out and placed in the freezer.

At this point, you should feed your kitten at least three times daily, giving him dry food to free-feed on in between meals. Before the end of the month, schedule a follow-up appointment with the vet, including a second de-worming.

Month 5:

Your kitten will continue teething in month five, though he’ll probably already have his new incisors.

Don’t be surprised if he takes to nibbling on your finger. This gives you an opportunity to massage his gums with a natural reliever or cold gauze. Most of his adult teeth will be in place by the eighth month, however, you can still expect more beyond the first year.

In month five, you may want to purchase a scratching post to keep your couch, curtains, and carpet safe from his new claws. When you visit your vet, ask how to properly clip your kitten’s nails. It can be nerve-wracking at first, but you’ll get the hang of it! As far as nutrition goes, don’t change a thing until you’re past the six-month milestone—which is just around the corner.

Month 6:

You’re at the six-month milestone—already half-way through the first year! It’s been an amazing few months and there’s much more to look forward to. At this point, your kitten will be long and lean at three-quarters his adult size—far from the little fur ball you once knew. Think of this as his teen phase. That said you should stick with the kitten formula, although you can reduce the feedings to twice daily, with dry food to nibble on in between meals.

Since your kitten will be well into puberty, you should talk to your vet about having him fixed during your sixth-month visit.

Some experts even recommend spaying or neutering around four months given the overpopulation of dogs and cats around the world. Preventing unwanted pregnancy ensures your cat’s offspring won’t be killed in an animal shelter one day. According to the Humane Society of the United States, over 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters every year.

If you’re unsure about the procedure, keep in mind the benefits well beyond population control. Studies have shown neutered/spayed pets are calmer and more content because the urge to reproduce is eliminated.

Since they won’t feel the need to seek out a mate, they’ll be less apt to leave home and put themselves in harm’s way. Neutering your male cat can also control inappropriate urination. In females, spaying decreases the incidences of breast cancer. Overall, you’ll find spaying or neutering to enhance your pet’s life and increase his lifespan, too.

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How to Clean Your Cat’s Ears

Cats’ ear canals are longer than ours, making them more susceptible to dirt and excess wax. Cleaning them is an essential part of grooming, and it can also prevent mites—tiny, crab-like parasites. You just need to be careful not to rupture the ear drum or cause lacerations inside the canal.


You’ll need:

  • Olive oil, hydrogen peroxide, or store-bought ear cleaner
  • Cotton balls
  • An eye-dropper
  • A container for water

Then:

  • Warm the ear-cleaning agent by placing it in a warm pan of water. You want it to be at body temperature.
  • Place your cat on a table or counter and wrap her in a thick towel for restraint; leave just her head exposed. This will both keep her in place and prevent scratching.
  • Grip the top of the ear and gently turn the flap inside. If you see any type of pus or discharge, you should take your cat to the vet instead of attempting to clean it out.
  • Clean the earlobe using a moist cotton ball. Do not use a Q-Tip! This can be very dangerous.
  • Put a drop of your cleaning solution into the opening of the ear canal. Massage the base of the ear for 20–45 seconds to work the liquid around.
  • Allow you cat a little time to shake her head; this will work the solution in further. After a few minutes, use cotton balls to wipe away oil and dirt.
  • Give her lots of praise and a treat! This will help her associate the act with reward instead of discomfort.

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