Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Terror of the flea spot on

25 replies

ilovebagpuss · 10/09/2021 08:09

My lovely big ginger and white beast Maximus is absolutely terrified out of his wits if I so much as take the top off a spot on thing.
I hate doing it to him if that is we can catch him and hold him still.
Any wisdom on how to get this on him any easier oh people of the litter tray?
Thank you 🙏

OP posts:
YesItsMeIDontCare · 10/09/2021 08:14

Crack the lid first, in another room. Dreamies. A large pile. Not great, but a slightly better result. Catnip can be used too.

Gloves and a padded coat are recommended for the person holding the wild beast.

dgirluk · 10/09/2021 08:19

I take the cap off etc. in another room when the cat's out, and leave it propped up somewhere close to hand. Then have lovely cuddles and strokes and DH drops it on while I'm stroking and cuddling (or the other way around) - cat doesn't even notice the horror ! Or sometimes decides "something" has happened she doesn't like but she's not entirely sure what :D

icedcoffees · 10/09/2021 08:22

Get them while they're sleeping. Wink

PlinkPlankPlunk · 10/09/2021 08:34

As PPs have said, you need to do it by stealth. And warm up the little tube a bit because it’s when it sinks through their fur and feels cold that mine go completely postal.

The outrage lasts approx four weeks in this house, and then it’s time for another go…

12345FishAlive · 10/09/2021 10:07

I agree about opening it in another room but also try changing brand. Our boy was the same then the vet changed the brand they'd recommend and he isn't as fussed about the new brand going on. I think it was the noise of the packaging, the plastic being squeezed and the sound of the squirt too. If I could hear it then it'd have been so loud for him with his cat hearing and it being so close to ears too. Worth a try.

dgirluk · 10/09/2021 10:34

Ah yes I forgot about the noise - i also find don’t release the tube until it’s well away from them, or the noise of the air whooshing back in is enough for the terror!

SoupDragon · 10/09/2021 10:38

FatCat used to hiss menacingly if he so much as glimpsed the tube!

With our new cats, stealth, Dreamies and/or 2 people is key.

NapoleonOzmolysis · 10/09/2021 10:41

I mistakenly thought doing spot-on worming would be easier than trying to insert a tablet but no. It's not. They know the noise of the drawer, the noise of the foil, the noise of the click. Although the worming doesn't hurt in the same way as the flea stuff - that seems to sting one of ours, he legs it out into the garden and runs round in circles, which is most unlike him.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/09/2021 10:44

My neighbour's cat used to visit me (he'd often sleep on my desk) in the days when I used to use usb drives regularly (the stick ones). I used to take the top off these and he'd look at me in terror and run - and not come near me for ages. It was when I was looking after him once and he had fleas and I tried to de-flea him (yes, with the correct stuff I had been given) that I put two and two together ...

Original poster
ilovebagpuss · 10/09/2021 11:35

Thanks everyone Smile I think it’s partly the noise of the squeeze I will definitely try the dreamies bribe. I did wonder about squeezing it into a spoon and tipping it onto the spot rather than squeezing the damn tube thing.
He hates the sound of ketchup or anything in a squeeze bottle too.
He is a bit feeble like that!

OP posts:
longtompot · 10/09/2021 11:42

@PlinkPlankPlunk

As PPs have said, you need to do it by stealth. And warm up the little tube a bit because it’s when it sinks through their fur and feels cold that mine go completely postal.

The outrage lasts approx four weeks in this house, and then it’s time for another go…

Haha sorry that did make me laugh! We have one amiable cat but the other is a feisty thing and I leave the pleasure of the spot on treatments to me ed as it's 'her cat'.
EssentiallyDisorganised · 10/09/2021 11:47

It's even worse with two cats as the second twigs when the first gets done. We switched to the 6 monthly injection in the end.

SoupDragon · 10/09/2021 11:51

@EssentiallyDisorganised

It's even worse with two cats as the second twigs when the first gets done. We switched to the 6 monthly injection in the end.
Try it with two virtually identical cats 😂 It's a military operation here with a tick chart to say who has been flea-ed/wormed/both.
EssentiallyDisorganised · 10/09/2021 11:53

Yikes, at least our two are nothing like each other!

FelicityBeedle · 10/09/2021 11:54

If there are two of you I’d be tempted to blanket roll him and pop a pill down his throat. Good practice if he’s ever ill too!
Spot ons leave my lovely handsome boy with a massive bald patch, seems he has sensitive skin. A collar left on full time balds him too

hellswelshy · 10/09/2021 11:59

Yes same issue here. One of our dcats is do-able by waiting till she's sleepy but the other one...Well let's just say it takes 3 of us! One tip is squeeze the pipette onto a spoon as agree the noise does freak them out. Then spoon it onto the parted fur Grin

CSIblonde · 10/09/2021 13:39

I take the top off elsewhere. Wait til she's sleepy, offer ham & then do her neck. She's still un impressed but not as "are you trying to kill me, I have to get out of here"!

Mumdiva99 · 10/09/2021 13:53

I have 2 cats. One couldn't give a hoot. Happy for me to do it. The other likens it to being shot....someone upthread said its like it stings their cat....that's exactly how she acts....she's alert to the sound of the tube too so I have to do it by stealth.

alloalloallo · 10/09/2021 13:59

Mine 2 hate it.

I buy them a pouch each of some expensive, fancy cat food, sprinkle Dreamies on top and just surprise attack them while they’ve got their heads in their food bowls.

It’s a 2 man job as you have to do them together and we have to open packaging and take lids off while hiding in the down stairs loo. You only get 1 shot at it, if you miss your chance, they’ll just fuck off and you have to wait until the next day.

I’ve found it easier just to do it, the more we pussy foot around and try and make it a bit nicer, the more shitty they get about it. Once it’s done, they just kinda shrug and carry on eating.

Original poster
ilovebagpuss · 10/09/2021 21:22

I have success to report ! I did the spoon and DH held the beast and parted the fur and I dropped it on. However he then shot out the cat flap in a rage and hasn’t been seen since. Just going to look for him as it’s been a few hours. I have a little bit of chicken to treat him and some dreamies. Poor boy.
Thanks for all the tips I will definitely put it on the spoon in future he hates the noise of the pipette.

OP posts:
hellswelshy · 11/09/2021 00:53

Yay! Glad to hear the spoon was a success! Grin

Furries · 11/09/2021 02:41

@ilovebagpuss - I have long haired cat here (did have two, sadly now only one). Very dense fur. They could tell a mile off when those little tubes were opened! And I always worried that I wasn’t getting all the liquid right onto the skin.

Ask your vet if they do the Program injection. It’s given once every six months, one of which they tie in with the annual booster. Cat stress levels reduced and my stress levels reduced.

Also, I do a “health plan” with my vets. Covers annual check-up, boosters, flea and worming etc (works out cheaper than paying for each item individually). The injection is covered under this as an alternative to monthly spot-on treatment.

Original poster
ilovebagpuss · 11/09/2021 11:42

@Furries thank you I will definitely look into the injection. That sounds better for him. He has forgiven me today but won’t be stroked anywhere near it.

OP posts:
viques · 11/09/2021 18:00

Another tip. Lock the cat flap. Especially if you have more than one cat.

NapoleonOzmolysis · 11/09/2021 18:05

Me and Ds1 simultaneously did Dcat 1&2 last night. He chose the less difficult cat but was 3 seconds slower than me to start which was too much warning for him not to get scratched.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page