Puffy Ears-Tabby Cat

Question
Hi!

I have an 11year old tabby.  Recently his inner left ear (part that sticks)became puffy.  It did not hurt him but he keeps shaking his head.  Finally it went down and now his ear hands down.  I thought he was in a fight or I ran into him accidentally in the middle of the night getting a drink of water.  Now I see his other ear is doing the same thing.  He has not been outside or in a collision w/ me.  He also is digging at his legs and belly w/ red marks across his belly.  Any feedback would be fantastic!

Answer
It sounds like you are describing a hematoma on both ears. Cats and dogs get these usually from a trauma of some sort-even self inflicted scratching traumas.
Most likely case is that he has been fighting especially if he has red marks across his belly.
When cats fight they bite everything and scratch and kick with their back legs-right across the belly of the other cat.
These hematomas will shrink and take the ear with them if they are not treated soon. That consists of the vet draining them of the blood in them (that's why they are swollen, a blood vessel ruptures under the skin) and then suture it down for a few days until the skin and the cartlidge of the ear heals.
He will shake his head and make them worse until you get him to the vets. It feels like something heavy is on his head so he shakes it.
He probably needs a course of antibiotics also from the bites or they will get some nasty infections.
You don't want an 11 cat going through a lot of infections.
Time to call the vet~!
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If this cat hasn't been into the vet's since he was neutered and is fighting with other cats you should have him tested for leukemia while he is in there getting his ears fixed.