Molly hates flea day!

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Mollysmummy
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Molly hates flea day!

Post by Mollysmummy »

Our cat Molly detests flea treatment day. We used to try to distract her with food and put the treatment on quickly, but this time we've had to resort to trying to hold her which she doesn't like. She squirms as soon as we part the fur on her neck as she knows what's coming, and spends the next 10 minutes shaking her head, and then ignores us for the rest of the day.

Sometimes we only manage to get half the treatment on her before she squims away, and as she goes out I feel it's important for her comfort that we give her some protection from fleas.

Does anyone have any other ideas or tips for successful application?
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Jan
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Jan »

I so wish I did Mollysmummy! We have exactly the same problem with Blackie. The very first time I gave him the flea treatment, I did it when he was eating ... absolutely no problem - expecting it to be the same the next month.

Since then, its been hellish! We've resorted to covering him with a towel. I know cats can wriggle but Blackie would win a gold medal for it. I have trouble finding his skin on the part where the liquid is supposed to go because his fur is so thick - by which time Blackie is wriggling like mad - OH says it my fault for taking too long and I just about manage to get the treatment on before Blackie escapes from my OH's clutches with the liquid running down the side of his neck.

Next time we'll try putting him in his cat basket where he doesn't have so much wriggle-room and see if that works better. But any better suggestions would also be gratefully received by me (and OH :lol: ).
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Lilith
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Lilith »

Hi Mollysmummy and Jan, I don't often have to do this as my garden's secure, but there are times...like the summer of the adjoining tenants with neglected dogs...the fleas paid a visit through the fence...

I've seen vets just splodge this stuff on to the back of the cat's head, so that's what I do, stick the nozzle into the fur and let fly. My own Molly is wriggly - hates to be handled but I have to be firm if she needs it. Emily makes it clear she's annoyed, but bears with me. As for Mouse...

I have to contain her in the bathroom or she'd escape, so when I pick her up and take her in there, she KNOWS. Loud howls: 'OWOOOO! Call the RSPCA! Call the POLICE! OWOOOOOO!' The little bottle is ready and open; I empty it into her back hair as Mousey pauses for breath, stops struggling and doesn't even notice the damn stuff going on!

'There, Mousey, clever girl, Mousey!'

'OWOOOOO! Call the CPL! HELLLLP!!!!'

Cats eh? Good luck to us all! :lol:
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Mollysmummy
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Mollysmummy »

We call Kevin our kitten Mouse a lot as he was so tiny when we got him.

He's not bothered at all in comparison to Molly. She's just funny with medicine in general, a drop of anything in her food and she knows about it! Is the flea stuff as effective if it doesn't go on the skin directly?
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Lilith
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Lilith »

Well, it seems to be. I don't see how it can ever all get on to the skin myself, no matter how thorough you try to be - and I know if we've got fleas because the little blighters bite ME - I'm my own cats' early flea warning system :)
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Sue Goddard
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Sue Goddard »

My cats have always had "Program" injections for fleas...It's once every 6 months and it covers them against fleas..I believe it works by killing the fleas if they bite but not sure on that.You can always Google it for info.
They don't lay eggs either..I've sworn by it for years .I couldn't be doing with all this fluid stuff on their necks..It never goes where you want it to and usually ends up all over their fur..!! and if you've got two or more cats there's always a chance the others will lick the spot and ingest it. Program is expensive but for a treatment that lasts 6 months I think is well worth it..(actually it may not be any more expensive than Frontline )
Sadly we have concluded that we will never see Bailey again.. so it was sad that the vet made an error and sent out his 6 month Program reminder 2 weeks ago..
When our next cat takes up residence he or she will get Program as a matter of course.
SG
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Mollysmummy
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Mollysmummy »

That's a great idea I've never heard of it! I will have a look into it and see if my vets do it.
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Jan
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Jan »

Sue Goddard wrote:My cats have always had "Program" injections for fleas...It's once every 6 months and it covers them against fleas..I believe it works by killing the fleas if they bite but not sure on that.You can always Google it for info.

Sadly we have concluded that we will never see Bailey again.. so it was sad that the vet made an error and sent out his 6 month Program reminder 2 weeks ago..
When our next cat takes up residence he or she will get Program as a matter of course.
SG
I'm not here very often these days, Sue, but from what you say sounds like your cat went missing? I am so sorry if that's the case. :cry:

As for Program - the vet has told me about it in the past but then I read that it should be combined with a tablet (forget the name). If that is the case ... and unless the tablet can be crushed into L-e-L or food ... but even then, what works on one occasion, won't work on another. I crushed a Milbemax into L-e-L the first time I used it and he licked the lot. Thank heavens for that, thought I ... until I came to give him the next dose ... wouldn't touch L-e-L, so tried again mixing it with food - that didn't work either. I gave up in the end and took him to the vets.

I once had to give him a course of Dantrium because he'd had a nasty bout of FIC and I was told he should have the tablet whole :shock: So I rang an emergency vet (all this was over a w/end) to ask if I could crush it up in his food. He said I could but unlikely the cat would eat the food due to the very bitter taste of Dantrium.

Not only did Blackie eat the food, but when the local vet said I'd have to continue with the tablets for another 5-7 days, he ate all the food with each tablet with no problem. Cats!!! Cantankerous or what?!
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Sue Goddard
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Sue Goddard »

Jan,
I've never been advised that Program goes with a tablet? Just had the jab and that's it done.
What are the tablets for?
SG
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Jan
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Jan »

Sue Goddard wrote:Jan,
I've never been advised that Program goes with a tablet? Just had the jab and that's it done.
What are the tablets for?
SG
Hi Sue

Sorry for delay in coming back ... to be honest, when the local vet near our home in Kent spoke to me about putting Blackie on Program, he never mentioned about adding a tablet either. But I read it somewhere on another forum - (not that you can believe everything you read on forums!).

Think I'll check it with the local vet here in NSomerset (where we are at the moment) as from reading Blackie's past treatments (he was my mother's cat for 10 years), I see that he had the Program injection in 2012. That was the year before we adopted him as Mum had to go into a care home in early 2013. If the vet confirms there's no additional tablet involved, then when I've used up the last 2 pipettes of Advocate, I will go over to the Program injection. I was told that the Program injection can be used as long as the cat is already flea-free ... correct?

Of course ... there's always the problem of Milbemax! Unfortunately, Blackie can't tolerate Profender.
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Mollysmummy »

I'm pleased to report that flea day went a million times better today!! It's definitely a 2 man job, but I think we've figured out the logistics. I pick them up and part the fur, and hubby squirts the flea stuff on! Molly's not keen on being picked up so she's too busy stressing about that to worry about her neck being wet, and we distract Kevin with a window to look out of! Definitely the most successful applications for both of them for a few months.
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Jan
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Jan »

Glad things went well for Molly's flea day. We do a 2-man job but Blackie is such a wriggler that my OH finds it impossible to hold him still while I put the Advocate on him. As soon as the liquid hits his skin he fights like mad to get away.

However, we brought him back from the vets the other day and as his flea treatment was due, we decided to give it to him before letting him out of the basket. Success!! There was nowhere for him to wriggle away to and though he had a bit of a hiss + spit, it seemed to be less stressful for him and for us. We have one Advocate to use up next month and then I'll speak to the vet in NSomerset about the Program injection for him.
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by desmond »

I have had good luck with Program Oral Suspension for cats. It is a vial of liquid Lufenuron which kills all fleas within 24-48 hours and lasts for one month. I mix the liquid in with my cat's favorite canned food, and it must be tasteless, because my cat eagerly eats all the food. No trauma at all is what I like! I order this online through Google search. The pharma company is Novartis.
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Mollycat »

That's interesting because the company that makes it specifically says it does NOT kill adult fleas so you really have amazing luck!
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by Johnyboi »

We already have one holding my cat and the other applying the treatment, while we dump a whole load of treats on the table. He still manages to wriggle, may have to restrain him with a blanket, anyone know of any good blanket restrains?
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Re: Molly hates flea day!

Post by susand »

Try switching to oral. Credelio comes in tablet form and cats generally like the taste, so eat it as if it were a cat treat. I just chuck it on the floor and my cat gobbles it up.
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