My Cat Has Warm Ears: Is It Ill?
Warm ears are not uncommon in cats. In many cases it is completely harmless and is due to external factors such as the summer temperatures. Occasionally, however, a fever might be responsible for a cat's warm ears.
In the following, we will explain how you can tell whether your cat's hot ears indicate a health problem and what you should do in this case.
Warm ears in cats – the main points at a glance
- Warm ears in cats can be caused, among other things, by the heat in summer or by physical exertion.
- Health problems that can cause warm ears in cats include fever and ear mites.
- If a cat has a fever, a prompt visit to the vet is usually essential.
- An infestation with ear mites should be treated promptly with suitable means.
Warm ears in cats in summer
One possible cause of warm ears in cats is the high temperatures in summer. Especially when your four-legged friend is dozing in the sun for a long time, it is perfectly normal for their body to warm up a little and the cat's ears to get hot.
In this case, there is no reason to worry. However, keep in mind that cats can suffer from heat stroke. Other typical symptoms that heat stroke can cause are panting and shortness of breath.
If your cat suffers heat stroke, it can be life-threatening for the animal. If it develops any symptoms, you should therefore contact a veterinarian immediately.
Warm ears in cats after romping around
Cats spend an incredibly large part of the day sleeping and dozing. However, that does not mean that the four-legged friends do not also hunt and romp around in between.
If your cat has physically exerted itself while playing, this often leads to its body temperature slightly rising for a short time and the ears also getting warm.
Both of these are short-lived and shouldn't normally worry you.
Hot ears in cats with a fever
Warm or hot ears in cats are not always due to high ambient temperature or physical exertion. They can also be a sign of fever.
Just like in humans, a fever in cats is a normal immune system response as the body tries to fight off disease. The fever often occurs in combination with other symptoms such as tremors, loss of appetite, fatigue and breathing problems.
How to take a cat's temperature
If you suspect that your cat has hot ears due to fever, you should take the four-legged friend's temperature as soon as possible. For accurate values, a rectal thermometer is recommended.
For hygienic reasons, use a thermometer intended exclusively for your cat. Apply a little petroleum jelly to make the procedure as comfortable as possible for the animal.
The body temperature of a healthy cat is between 38 and 39 degrees. If it exceeds this value for a long period of time, you can assume that your cat has a fever.
Cat with hot ears – when to visit a vet
Depending on the temperature taken and the animal's general condition, it is usually advisable for cats with fever to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. After all, a very high fever can be life-threatening. In addition, the underlying condition that caused your cat's fever may need urgent treatment.
Possible cat diseases that can lead to fever include:
Apart from that, chronic inflammation, an overactive thyroid, poisoning and numerous other health problems in cats can also cause fever and thus hot ears.
In view of the numerous possible triggers, it is therefore not possible to say in general how your four-legged friend must be treated and how good the chances of recovery are. It is therefore all the more important that you obtain the advice of an expert.
Irrespective of this, you should make sure that your cat drinks plenty of water and that your heating is not turned up too high. In addition, it can be useful to strengthen your cat's immune system with suitable food supplements such as Shiimun Immun or I love my cat Immun.
Warm ears in cats due to ear mites
Ear mites are ectoparasites that prefer to infest the ear canals of their hosts. In addition to symptoms such as frequent shaking of the head and itching, the parasite infestation can also lead to warm ears in cats.
Ear mites are very uncomfortable for cats. They should therefore be treated promptly. For this purpose, we recommend that you rely on our natural anti-ear mite drops. Compared to preparations with chemical ingredients, these are much gentler on your cat and, thanks to their carefully balanced composition, are nevertheless effective.
View Anti-Earmite Drops for cats.
Cats with warm ears – our conclusion
As you can see, warm ears in cats often have a harmless cause. However, sometimes a cat can have warm ears due to a fever.
If you observe other signs of this in your four-legged friend, such as exhaustion or tremors, you should definitely take the animal's temperature and, if necessary, consult a veterinarian so that they can treat your cat.