What are some safe home remedies for cats with ear mites?

Do a search on Mineral oil I believe its safe to use to get rid of ear mites in cats. I am pretty sure thats what the vet told me but it was over twenty years ago when we had a cat with the ear mite problem so I cant really remember. Do a search on it.

This comes from "New Choices in Natural Healing for Dogs & Cats" from Prevention for Pets. "Start with a tea rinse. Green tea is a natural antiseptic that helps remove "mite mess" from the ear canal, says Dr. Yasson. Steep a tablespoon of green tea leaves in a cup of hot water for three to four minutes, strain it, then let it cool to room temperature. Using a small dropper, flush your pet's ear canal with teh tea. Massage the outside of the ear to circulate the tea, then stand back: When your pet shakes her head, the tea,- along with the grit in the ear- will come flying out. Then dry the outer part of the ear canal with a tissue or cotton ball, says Dr Yasson. Do this once a day for a month. Foil them with oil. A traditional, all-natural remedy for mites is to put three to five drops of oil int he ear canal. The oil smothers the mites and also helps soothe the ears, says Dr. Yasson. Generally it doesn't matter what kind of oil you use, although some holistic vets recommend almond or olive oil. (Don't use tea tree oil, which can be dangerous for cats.) For a double benefit, soak a few crushed garlic cloves in the oil overnight. Garlic helps kill bacteria that can lead to ear infections in pets with ear mites, says Dr Yasson. You will need to give the oil treatments once a day for at least a month, she adds. For the oil to be effective, it is a good idea to clean your pet's ears first. Otherwise the accumulated discharge may protect the mites from the oil. Once you have gotten rid of ear mites, you need to make sure that they don't come back. Some holistic veterinarians recommend givign pets echinacea, an herb that strengthens the immune system and makes it harder fro parasites to thrive. You can give echinacea for about two weeks after treating your pet for mites. Dogs and cats will usually take echinacea liquid without putting up a fuss, but some pets dislike the taste. An alternative is to give them echinacea capsules. Whether you are using capsules or liquid, give dogs over fifty pounds the full human dose, says Dr. Yasson. Pets 20 to 50 pounds can take one half of the human dose, and pets under 20 pounds should take one quarter the human dose. TREAT ALL YOUR PETS. One reason mites are so hard to get rid of is thta they are readily passed from pet to pet, says Dr. Yasson. Even if you successfully treat one pet, she may get reinfected the next time she rubs heads with one of her friends. The only way to get rid of mites for good is to treat all your pets- not only the one who is doing the scratching." I hope that this information has helped you out some. I don't like using chemicals on my animals either, so I bought this book at a yard sale and am so happy that I have it~

I've heard corn oil, but someone tried olive and said it worked Just put it in the ears, it seems to suffacate the mites and the oil drives them out

i hear mineral oil and a q-tip swabbing most often. one of my prior cats had mites,but he was given drops from the vet.

my mom swore by mineral oil....It sticks to the mites and then they can't breathe....then you can just clean out the ear (gently) with a q tip...if the cat lets you near there ears.....But it does work...any type of cooking oil does the trick and is not harmful to the cats.

we have a cat with a mighty big mite problem . first you hand cat wrapped in a towel to someone he or she likes , then grab the good old mineral oil and lots of qtips and go for the gold .weve tried store bought stuff but mineral oil works best

I think the medication should still be ok to use. Expiration dates are just guidelines (things aren't "safe" one day and "unsafe" the next). You've kept it in the fridge, so go ahead and use it.