kitty's ear is becoming deformed

[Twidgie's Mom]

we were asked to care for the neighbor lady's cats while she goes to Christmas with family in Texas. when we were being introduced to the family, i noted one cat whose left ear is half the size of her right ear, while the base of the left ear is the same size as the right ear. i asked the lady about this and she said she doesn't know what it is (she said she thinks it must be some kind of infection or other.)..that she'll have to take that kitty to the vet when she gets home from Texas. we were appalled, as it also appeared that one of the other kitties was experiencing the beginning of the same deformity. What are we looking at here????

[davet]

i think your lookig for a permanatly krinkled ear...not harmfull but doubt at this stage it can be fixed...probably from a mild hamatoma

[Traci]

Her response to you probably means she was well aware of the problem and didn't do anything about it when it first occured. Chances are, it is or was infected, wasn't treated, and the tissues sloughed. If kitty is or was excessively scratching her ears, shaking her head, seemed out of balance, etc, then infection is likely. If the kitty was allowed outdoors during cold weather, frostbite could have been the cause as well. If one or more of the cats has earmites, these too can cause severe infections and need to be treated.

If she hasn't left for vacation yet, try to educate her on the importance of getting the cats seen right away, as ear infections can be excruciatingly painful and can cause other problems. Left untreated, this lady is going to end up paying much more in the long run, not to mention how the cats must be suffering from the pain.