Is cat ear fever a fever?

Cats’ ears are generally warmer than the rest of their body, which is normal. There are a large number of capillaries and auricle muscles inside the cat’s ears. The blood circulation in these parts is relatively good, so they will generate heat. Therefore, it is inaccurate to judge whether a cat has a fever simply by whether its ears are warm.
The best way to tell if your cat has a fever is to take its temperature. Normal cat body temperature is generally between 38°C and 39°C. When the body temperature exceeds this range, it indicates that the cat may have a fever. However, changes in a cat’s body temperature are also affected by many factors, such as ambient temperature, time, etc., so measurements at multiple time points are needed to determine whether a cat has a fever.
In addition, cats’ hot ears may also be caused by other reasons, such as their bodies being excited, they are consuming energy, etc. In these cases, your cat’s ears will become warmer, but this is not necessarily a sign of fever.

If your cat’s ear fever is accompanied by other symptoms, such as loss of appetite, lack of energy, weight loss, shortness of breath, etc., then you need to go to the veterinarian for examination in time to find out the cause and treat it. In short, it is not accurate enough to judge whether a cat has a fever simply by whether the cat’s ears are warm. The cat’s body temperature and other symptoms need to be considered comprehensively.

One of the greatest joys of raising a cat is rubbing its waxy ears
Eh?
Why are my cat’s ears sometimes cold and sometimes hot?
Which situation is normal?

Is it normal for the ears to feel cool to the touch?

is normal. Because: ➤ The temperature of the extremities is lower
Normally, a cat’s ears have lower blood circulation than other parts of the body, so when touched, the temperature will be slightly lower than the base of the ears and the body.
The eye temperature of a cat in a calm state is 34.8 °C, and the ear temperature is even lower
Therefore, frostbite is also prone to occur in the ears.
In winter, cats’ ears are also the most common area for frostbite. This is because animals have a self-protection mechanism. When the body feels cold, blood will be transferred from the limbs to the core areas, including the heart, liver, lungs, etc., to save energy while protecting important organs.
And cat ears tend to be thin and exposed, without the protection of a lot of fur and body fat, making them particularly susceptible to external factors.
In the cold winter, affected by the room temperature, the cat’s ears will feel cooler to the touch, which is normal.

Is it normal for it to feel hot to the touch?

During warmer times, vasodilation in a cat’s ears increases blood flow and makes the ears warmer. For example, if a cat is warming himself by a small stove or blowing on the heater, his whole body will become warm, and his ears will naturally become warm.
In addition to being affected by the outside temperature, there are other possibilities for cats’ ears to become hot:

Emotional impact

Cats’ ears can also become “temporarily” warm due to emotions such as anger, excitement, or nervousness.
Usually a cat’s mood changes are related to changes in the environment (such as a new toy, going out, decoration, introducing a new cat, etc.).
When a cat is angry, its temperature is 37.1°C, which is about 2°C higher than when it is calm.
When the factors that caused the cat’s mood changes are eliminated or the cat adapts and returns to a calm state, their ear temperature will drop to the usual normal level.

Ear infection

If cats are infected with ear mites, bacteria, fungi, etc., their ears will feel uncomfortable, causing excessive scratching, leading to ear inflammation, redness, and increased temperature. In normal times, you may also observe that the cat shakes its head frequently and smells a strange smell in its ears.
If you suspect your cat has an ear infection, you need to take your cat to the hospital for examination. And you must do deworming and hygiene at home.

Allergy

If the cat’s ears and body skin are red, the ears are warm, and the cat scratches its head and face frequently, and rubs its body around, it may be a sign of allergies.
There are many causes of cat allergies, and parents need to take them to the hospital for investigation.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism can cause cats to lose weight, increase their appetite, be irritable, and also cause their heart rate to increase, thereby raising their body temperature and making their ears feel hot.
This disease usually occurs in older cats. If an older cat at home has the above condition, parents need to take the cat to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

Heatstroke

Indoors are dry in winter. Many northern households have better heating effects, or the air conditioners in southern households are turned on too high, which can lead to excessive indoor temperatures. Kittens and elderly cats have difficulty regulating their own body temperature, and may suffer from heat stroke and dehydration. Case.
Warm ears are one of the symptoms of heat stroke in cats, and may be accompanied by loss of appetite, dry stools, lethargy, etc. In this case, the cat needs to be moved to a cool and ventilated place and sent to the hospital in time.

External pressure

If the cat leans to one side while sleeping, presses one of its ears, or plays with other animals in the house, and the ears are injured, it will cause the ears to become hot.
If there are other animals in the home, it’s best to check your cat’s ears for trauma first. If no trauma is found, but one or both ears continue to feel warm and sensitive to touch, it is best to take the cat to the hospital for an ear examination.

Other factors

When the body’s immune system is attacked, it often results in fever and warm ears:
● Bacterial, viral or fungal infection
● Tumor
● Infection caused by trauma
● Certain medications
● Autoimmune diseases
Therefore, hot ears do not mean that the cat has a fever, but it must be judged comprehensively in combination with other aspects.

My ears are hot and cold. Is the ear thermometer reliable?

After feeling that the cat’s ears are warm to the touch, many parents will choose to use an ear thermometer to measure the cat’s temperature.
However, the temperature of a cat’s ears fluctuates from cold to hot, so if you use an ear thermometer to measure the cat’s temperature, is the result accurate?

In a 2013 study, researchers measured the rectal and ear temperatures of 29 cats for 14 consecutive days. The results showed that cats’ rectal and ear temperatures were consistent, with the difference between the two temperature measurements not exceeding 1 degree Celsius. This suggests that ear thermometry is an alternative to rectal thermometry when assessing a cat’s temperature.

Comprehensive judgment

After taking the cat’s temperature, the doctor needs to make a comprehensive judgment based on the cat’s systemic symptoms.
● Nose: A cat’s nose is usually cool and moist, but a sick cat’s nose is often dry and hot when it has a fever.
● The body is also warm: Just like the ears, if the cat has a fever, the cat’s body may also feel warmer than usual.
● Shortness of breath and trembling: Cat fever may be accompanied by rapid breathing or panting, accompanied by trembling.
● Poor energy: loss of appetite, drowsiness, etc.
The normal body temperature of cats is generally between 37.7-39.2℃. It is normal to fluctuate slightly due to external factors. However, if it continues to exceed the normal body temperature by more than 0.5~1℃, parents need to pay attention and take the cat to the hospital for examination in time.
Generally speaking, it is normal for a cat’s ears to be cold, and there is generally no need to worry about temporary ear heating.
However, if the ear temperature continues to be abnormal and is accompanied by other abnormal symptoms, it requires attention and it is best to seek medical treatment in time if necessary.