Moderate severity

Nasopharyngeal Polyps

Benign, fleshy growths that spring from the lining of the middle ear or the Eustachian tube and push into the back of the nose and throat, or down the ear canal. Most common in young cats, they are not cancerous but can cause persistent noisy breathing, nasal discharge and ear problems until they are removed.

⚠️ Common symptoms

Noisy, snoring or snuffly breathing, often worse at restChronic nasal discharge, sneezing or a blocked-sounding noseA change in the sound of the meow or voiceHead shaking, ear discharge or scratching at one earHead tilt or loss of balance if the middle ear is involvedDifficulty swallowing or gagging in larger polypsA drooping eyelid and constricted pupil on one side (Horner's syndrome)

Nasopharyngeal polyps are a reminder that not every worrying lump is cancer. These soft, pinkish growths are entirely benign, but their location makes them a real nuisance: they sprout from the lining of the middle ear or the Eustachian tube — the narrow channel connecting the ear to the back of the throat — and then grow along the path of least resistance, either upward into the nasopharynx behind the nose or outward down the ear canal. Wherever they go, they take up space that should be clear, and the signs follow accordingly.

They are very much a young cat's problem, often showing up in kittens and cats under a few years old. A polyp sitting at the back of the throat typically produces snuffly, snoring, congested breathing and a chronically runny or blocked nose, sometimes with a change in the cat's voice or trouble swallowing. One that grows down the ear canal instead causes head shaking, discharge, and — if it disturbs the delicate middle and inner ear — a head tilt, wobbliness, or even the distinctive drooping eyelid and small pupil of Horner's syndrome. Because these signs look so much like ordinary cat flu or an ear infection, polyps are easy to miss at first and are often only found when the usual treatments fail to clear the problem.

The good news is that they are very treatable. Under anaesthetic a vet can often simply grasp the polyp and draw it out whole by its stalk, a technique called traction-avulsion, and many cats are cured this way. The catch is that polyps rooted deep in the bony chamber of the middle ear can grow back, and for those the more thorough operation of opening that chamber — a bulla osteotomy — removes the root and makes recurrence far less likely. A short course of steroids afterwards can help settle the inflammation.

For owners, the practical message is to take persistent noisy breathing, a lingering snotty nose, or one-sided ear trouble in a young cat seriously rather than assuming it is just a stubborn cold. A polyp caught early is a straightforward fix; one left to grow can burrow deeper and make treatment more involved. Either way, the outlook once a polyp is properly removed is generally excellent.

🔍 Causes

The exact cause of feline nasopharyngeal polyps is not fully understood. They are thought to arise from chronic inflammation of the lining of the middle ear and Eustachian tube, and because they turn up most often in young cats — frequently under two or three years of age — an association with earlier upper respiratory infections or middle-ear inflammation is suspected. They are not cancerous and do not spread, but left in place they keep growing and causing obstruction. There is no known breed or sex predisposition strong enough to predict them.

🛡 Prevention

There is no proven way to prevent nasopharyngeal polyps, but because chronic upper-respiratory and middle-ear inflammation is thought to play a role, keeping kittens' vaccinations up to date and treating cat-flu infections and ear problems promptly and thoroughly may help reduce the inflammation they are linked to. Beyond that, prevention is really about early recognition: catching a polyp while it is small, before it has extended deep into the middle ear, makes removal simpler and recurrence less likely.

💊 Treatment

A polyp is usually diagnosed by examining the back of the throat and ear canals under anaesthetic, sometimes with X-rays or a CT scan to see how far it extends into the middle ear. Many nasopharyngeal polyps can be removed by traction-avulsion — the vet grasps the polyp and gently but firmly pulls it free from its stalk. This often resolves the signs, but polyps that arise deep in the middle ear can regrow, and in those cases a more definitive surgery called a bulla osteotomy, which opens the bony ear chamber to remove the base of the polyp, gives a much lower recurrence rate. A short course of anti-inflammatory steroids is sometimes used to reduce swelling and lower the chance of return.

When to see a vet: See your vet if your cat develops persistent noisy or snoring breathing, an ongoing snuffly or discharging nose, a changed voice, or signs of an ear problem such as head shaking, discharge or a head tilt — especially in a young cat. While a polyp itself is benign and rarely an emergency, its signs overlap with those of infections and, occasionally, tumours, so an examination is needed to reach the right diagnosis. Seek prompt care if breathing becomes genuinely laboured or your cat struggles to eat, and always have a persistent one-sided ear or balance problem checked.

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⚕️ Medical disclaimer

  • This information is educational only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
  • Symptoms overlap between conditions — only a vet can diagnose accurately.
  • Never withhold treatment or self-medicate based on information found online.
  • When in doubt, call your vet. Early intervention almost always leads to better outcomes.

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