Best Way to handle Ear Mites

I saw a few things on google (cooking oil?) & just wondered what the gang here uses/does short of going to the vet, which I really can't do with our 4 "yard" cats just yet, as they are still pretty shy around others...

Don't use cooking oil, hydrogen peroxide or any other homemade remedy for ear mites. Left untreated, ear mites can cause a myriad of health issues for cats including balance issues and deafness. Revolution is the best way to treat ear mites with yard cats IF ear mites are evident. Sometimes it is a secondary infection causing problems like yeast etc...

You aren't going to get rid of them if the cats are outside. You can control them with Revolution but you have to use the product monthly. The best way to get rid of the mites is to call the vet and get some earmite medication and using soft cotton balls (NOT q-tips) clean out the ears for a scheduled amount of time.

My vet is cool, he has made up a special oral mixture I can give my barn cats that prevent ear mites, but he isn't sharing just what is in the mixture. But talk to your vet- the stuff you buy over the counter or make on your own at home won't work. I hate ear mites! I'd much rather deal with fleas or parasites- because ear mites in outdoor cats can be pretty endless to struggle with.

I've used the treatment from Dr. Pitcairn's book and it's worked every time.

http://www.felinexpress.com/cat-health/ear-mites.asp

In Dr. Pitcairnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, he offers the following suggestion: “A mixture of ½ ounce of almond or olive oil and 400 IU Vitamin E (capsule) makes a mild healing treatment for cats or dogs. Blend them in a dropper bottle and warm the mixture to body temperature by immersing the bottle into hot water. Put about ½ dropper full in each ear and massage gently. Then clean out the opening gently….apply this oil every other day for 6 days.â€

If it's truly earmites and you're in a rural area with a "rural vet", talk to them. Most of them, if they have experience with cats, can properly dose down ivermectin (same thing that Acarexx is) for a cat. This can be used to get rid of the initial earmite infection, but you have to do something to prevent them from coming back.
Earmites are spread from infested animal to animal with close contact and from infested bedding. If you know where they sleep, clean those areas up. And yes, treat with Revolution or Advantage Multi for better protection.

thanks all... will have to find a vet...

^Another thought, and tip for you. If you can get human food grade diatomacious earth, you can use that to treat (dust) their bedding with to help with fleas, ticks, lice, and mites. It won't prevent all of those, but it can help control them in their environment a bit.