My cat has black specs in ears. Are they blackheads or something else?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the picture you provided, I see black waxy material and also a tattoo that has been done on the inside of the pinna. The tattoo is likely to indicate that she has been spayed and it is in the pattern of a circle with a linear line through it. That is not a concern at all and will be permanent. The black wax may be due to ear mites or an ear infection though. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Fluffy so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be the same as blackheads in humans. There is nothing that needs to be done. If it does not go away on its own as expected or it forms a mass, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know for sure based on these pictures though this is possibly a normal pigmentation change. If it is not associated with itchiness or discomfort, there is no need to be concerned about this. If you ever notice any discomfort or itchiness, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

I don't think it is skin mites. Blackhead (chin acne) is pretty common in cats and can be treated with daily Chlorhexidine solution OR you can use a topical human topical benzoyl peroxide gel 5%. Trimming away any long hairs is helpful as well.

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.

That was likely a little chicken flea. They tend to latch on to the ears and do not move until they are fully satisfied. As for the black debris in your kitty's ear , this may be an ear infection caused by ear mites or bacteria. I suggest you take Rex to your vet for an ear exam. If you do flea preventive care with your cat the chicken fleas should get killed as all other fleas will too.