I had one more pic to 'show off' which didn't quite fit into the 'story.' Which is fine since I realized I didn't tell you the outcome....

NO EARMITES! YAY!
But LOTS of grey ear wax. (I had no idea ear wax came in that color... Miz Edwina should be proud...KissieKat even color coordinates her ear wax! ) He said to the untrained eye, it'd look like lots of ticks but assured me it was JUST wax. I asked if it was allergy related (though I've never noticed her having other symptoms). He said that it could be related to the food (we're finishing up our last bag of kitten formula) and I might see an improvement once I got her onto an adult formula. He gave me some ear wash -- which *said under sarcastic breath* she absolutely loves.

But we're fine, healthy, and best of all...no earmites!