Ear mites

How do you know if your cat has ear mites or just dirty ears?

[AnnieBrooke]

Best way is for the doc to look down the cat's ear with an otiscope.  Cats can have a lot of dirt in their ears (dust sticking to their ear wax) without it being mites, but you want to know if mites are there because they can literally chew the tissue.  

[nancyjac]

Ear mites are very common.  If your cat is scratching his ears or shaking his head it is probably mites.  They look sort of like coffee grounds in color and texture.  A somewhat lighter and less grainy appearance could be a yeast infection.