Have you ever wondered why your cat’s ears are so hot? In this article, I will explain why they are so warm and what abnormal temperatures might indicate.
Cats are generally quite warm animals. A cat’s natural body temperature is several degrees warmer than any human’s. Anything up to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit is normal. So why do cats have hot ears?
The Cat Is Regulating Its Body Temperature
Cats can’t sweat as humans do. However, they can cool off from their ears. Cats have many capillaries in their ears. The air cools the blood in the veins thanks to the thin ears. While providing blood circulation to the ears, the body is cooled. If they get too hot, cats also try to lower their body temperature in hot weather by breathing rapidly.
Cats can only sweat from the small pads on their paws. With these methods, cats can successfully stabilize their body temperature to fit the climate around them. A temperature change in their ears can cause significant anxiety for those who live with cats and make you wonder.
Here are a few health issues to look for if you think your cat’s ears are hotter than usual.
6 Health-Related Reasons for Cat’s Hot Ears
Your Cat Can Have a Fever
If you suspect your cat has a fever due to abnormally hot ears, you can measure this with a thermometer. The most accurate temperature is measured rectally. However, you might find it challenging to perform – you can use a digital thermometer for less accurate measurement in the cat’s ear.
If a cat’s ear temperature gives the impression that your cat has a fever, you should also check its abdomen and armpits. A fever is experienced throughout the whole body. If those areas are also hot, the cat may have a fever.
Ear Infections
An ear infection causes the ears to be warmer than expected. An ear infection is highly contagious. It is usually transmitted through contact with another cat with an existing ear infection.
It is quite a painful disease for cats and needs to be treated quickly. Symptoms of an ear infection include the cat shaking its head more than usual, yellow or dark discharge from the ear, and tilting the head to one side.
Your Cat Might Have An Allergy
A cat’s hot ear is one of the symptoms of many allergies, such as a flea bite allergy, food, or pollen allergy. The cat’s body is fighting against the allergen that causes allergies. Therefore, the body temperature rises. Allergies have symptoms like a high fever, itching, and hair loss due to excessive scratching.
The Cat has Bugs Close to The Ear
Tiny bugs around the cat’s ear fur can drive them crazy. If the cat is itchy around the ear, your cat does various things, like rubbing against something to scratch that area. This causes the ear to heat up.
Bugs inside the ear must be removed manually, or they won’t go away themself. Contact your local vet for further inspections if you suspect your cat to have bugs inside or around the ear.
Cat’s Ear Wax
Cats may have more earwax than usual if you have an active cat that does not stay in one place for very long. For example, suppose the cat plays in areas such as soil and sand, where dust quickly enters its ears – that can cause the cat to produce earwax to protect the inner ear.
If you suspect your cat to have a fever due to some of the health reasons above, don’t hesitate to contact a veterinary for futher inspection.
The Relaxing Answer to Your Cat’s Hot Ears
When the sun is out and your cat has been outside for a while, you might notice that your cat’s ear is hot. It’s likely because your cat has been sitting in sunlight or a warm place for a while.
Cats like to sleep in warm areas to conserve energy and make the body use less energy. So, the fact that the ears are hot may not be a direct sign of health-related issues.
Last thoughts
If you suspect your cat has a disease and shows different symptoms besides warm ears, you should not hesitate to contact your veterinarian. Now you know what to look for if you think your cat’s ears are unreasonably hot.
