How to Clean Your Cat When He Can't Do It Himself - Cleaning Your Cat’s Face and Ears

1. Remove crust from around your cat’s eyes. If your cat has crust in the corners of the eyes or has an eye problem that is causing tearing or other discharge, you will need to clean around the eyes. This will keep the cat comfortable and prevent further irritation. You should also take your cat to the vet to have the discharge looked at. Sometimes cats get colds and other viruses that require some medication to clear them up.
- Blot tears with a cotton ball or soft cloth.
- Use a moistened piece of cotton to remove crusted debris or other dried or thick material around the cat's eyes.
- Make sure to use a separate cloth or cotton ball for each eye to help prevent the spread of infections between the eyes. [13]
- Avoid using eye washes or drops in the eyes themselves unless directed to do so by a veterinarian.[14]

2. Clean the facial folds. Facial folds are prominent in flat-faced breeds like the Persian and Himalayan. These should be cleaned, especially for cats with chronic eye discharge. Tears and other discharge can build up in these folds and predispose the cat to skin disease.[15]
- To clean facial folds, use a piece of moistened cotton or a moist soft cloth to gently remove tears and other debris in the area.[16]
- Make sure to get the skin between the folds as well as the skin on either side.
- Chronic moisture is a concern here, so make sure to use a damp rather than wet cloth.
- Gently pat the cleansed area dry after wiping.

3. Examine and clean the ears. Take a look at your cat’s ears. They should be pale pink in color, and there shouldn’t be any debris, wax build-up, or odor. If you are in doubt as to whether there is a problem or not, compare one ear with the opposite side - they should both look the same. If one side looks different to the other, then you will know there is an issue. To clean the ears:[17]
- Ask your vet to recommend a liquid ear cleaner, which is generally available at a pet supply store.
- Use a small amount of cleaner on a cotton ball.
- Fold the cat’s ear back and use the cotton ball to wipe away dirt.
- Do not clean the ear canal, as this can cause trauma and/or infection.
- Do not put cotton tips down into the ear canal, because if the cat moves suddenly you could damage the ear or cause pain. Never put water down into the ear as this softens the skin and makes ear infections more likely.

4. Examine your cat’s face for health problems. While you’re cleaning your cat, this is a good time to examine him for any problems. For example, if your cat has eye discharge, redness of the eyes, is blinking his eyes a lot, has watery eyes, a vet visit is in order.
- See your vet if the skin in your cat’s facial folds is red, darkened, seems irritated or the cat is losing hair.
- Your cat’s ears may be irritated if he is scratching them a lot. You might also find evidence of ear mites. Talk with your vet if you have concerns about your cat’s ears.