A tiny kitten's sense of hearing begins to function during the second week of life. At this young age, a kitten is able to hear the mother's purring. Cat's ears don't need much care and generally should be left alone, says Karen Campbell, DVM, University of Illinois in Urbana. It's a good idea to check for infection, though. Bobbi Whitlock, a cat groomer in Westville, Illinois, instructs her clients to check their cats ears regularly.
Healthy ears are pink, clean and have a pleasant smell.
An unpleasant odor, dark discharge or extremely red ears can be signs of ear mites or fungal infection. Dr. Campbell recommends taking a cat with these symptoms to the veterinarian. Ears should be cleaned prior to medication and care, and this is best done by a professional, she says. The most common ear problem in cats is ear mites, which cause large amounts of dark wax to build up in the ear canals. Mites are eight-legged parasites that live in and around cats' ears.