Why Are My Cats Ears Hot? (Everything You Need To Know)

Sometimes it happens that he strokes the cat and feels that his ears are warm: but why does this happen? Are there any risks or dangers? What to do when it happens?

Pets cannot talk to us except with body language, so it is vital that anyone who chooses to adopt one learns to read the signals that a four-legged friend sends: very often, in fact, it is a symptom of some problem with Health.

Speaking of signals that animals send through the body, today we are going to try to answer a question that has probably been asked at least once in their life by anyone who has a cat at home: Why does the cat have warm ears? And if it happens, should we be concerned?

Hot Ears in Cats: When Should You Be Concerned?

Usually the warm cat ears to a health problem: let’s say right away that is not always the case. Most of the time, cats have warm ears, but that doesn’t mean they’re sick!

The normal body temperature of the cat, in fact, is higher than that of humans and sits around 38°/39° C: so, when stroking our feline friend it seems that we notice a certain heat in the ears, it could be completely normal.

In addition, cat ears can appear warmer than necessary because of their natural conformation: they are not covered by large amounts of hair, nor by a layer of fat. Feline ears are thin and quite exposed, so it can happen that especially in summer they are especially hot to the touch.

Why does the Cat have Hot Ears? Most Common Causes

In general, the most common cause of hot ears in cats is external temperature: if your four-legged friend likes to lie in the sun, especially on hot days, or in the heat next to the radiator in winter, and overheating of atria is absolutely normal.

Fever: The first thing you think of in these cases, thanks to the widespread belief that hot ears indicate fever in the cat. This may be true, but it is not an absolute certainty – the only way to be sure is to use a thermometer and measure the temperature.

If the cat’s ears are very hot to the touch, and not just a little warm, the cat may have a fever. Fever can be caused by an infection of the upper respiratory tract, or by any type of infection in the body. If the ears are still warm, it is a good idea to take the cat to the vet to determine the cause of the fever. Cats’ body temperatures are much higher than humans, so make sure their ears are hot before assuming your pet has a fever.
Allergy: Especially if, in addition to being hot, the cat’s ears are also red, there could be an allergic reaction in progress. In this case, the cat must undergo special tests carried out by the veterinarian.

Allergies are common in cats. Hot red ears are often an indicator to vets of allergies. These can be due to diet or fleas. The vet will likely run some tests to rule out other problems and then suggest dietary changes as well as a flea treatment to rule out a flea allergy as a possibility. Skin tests can be done to confirm allergies.
Diseases: Ear diseases in cats, such as Otitis, can cause the symptom of hot ears. Otitis in cats manifests as an inflammatory process of the ear canal and pinna. A low level of defense can cause its appearance in your cat but the reason if it can vary for example, when you provide a shower to the kitty and enter water inside the ears. It is important to be careful and do not doubt to take the animal to the vet.
Infections: In some cases, if only a specific part of the body is warmer, there may be an infection. Pay attention to other symptoms.
In general, hot ears by themselves are not a worrying sign, the problem probably arises if there are other symptoms, both physical and behavioral, such as itching, pain, aggression, listlessness or if the cat sleeps too much. In this case, there may be something wrong and it is best to consult your vet as soon as possible.

An ear infection is very annoying for a cat, as it is for us. The result is that the cat can rub or scratch its ears. This will likely cause the ears to become inflamed and warm. When you see your cat repeatedly rubbing or scratching its ears, especially if that is accompanied by hot ears or a fever, it’s time to see your vet.
Mites in the ears: Mites cause hot ears in cats. Although the mites themselves do not make the ears warm, the itchiness that they produce does. When the ear mites bite they cause a very intense itch, which causes the cat to scratch itself. This causes inflammation in the tissues, which become very hot to the touch. The veterinarian will know how to treat it.
Hypertension: Sometimes hot ears are not related to an infection. In many cases, this symptom is caused by hypertension, which is the medical term for high blood pressure. It is important to treat this condition as soon as possible because it can cause death in the animal.

However, there are also some cases in which hot ears represent a symptom of a health problem in the cat, and among these, we remember:

Cats are like people, in that different health problems present themselves differently from one another. Many cat owners may find that their pet’s ears are very hot. The reasons or causes can vary but, some can be more serious than others. Knowing what can cause hot cat ears will help an owner determine when it is time to call the vet so do not lose time.