Hot Ears

[marhpb]

A friend's cat's ears were unusually hot. Is this a sign of a fever? There were no other apparent health problems at the time.

[Tina B and crew]

My cat's ears get hot when they do catnip...not sure if it increases blood flow or what. They also seem to get warm when they run around and play a lot. I imagine it's their way of cooling off since they don't sweat.

[Traci]

The ears are not an appropriate way to gauge temperature, only a rectal temperature will give you the cat's correct core body temperature. (normal feline temp = 101-102.5, anything significantly below or above this demands immediate veterinary attention)

[marhpb]

Thank you for the information. I'll pass it along to the cat's person.