Q: "My cat's date of birth was 7/1/23. Somehow, I ended up purchasing a very ill kitten from a private owner. I called him Pumpkin, and when I picked him up, it was at night in the pouring rain, so I ...

The classic dark, waxy discharge is a hallmark sign of ear mites. Severe itching is often caused by an allergic reaction (hypersensitivity), not just the mites themselves. Symptom severity does not ...

Q: My new kitten Nala has ear mites, for which my veterinarian prescribed treatment. I know from reading your column that some animal parasites also infect people. Can Nala's ear mites jump to me?

Editor’s note: Dr. Lee Pickett has retired, but Creators continues to distribute columns from her archive. This one is from 2020. Q: My new kitten Nala has ear mites, for which my veterinarian ...