Help!- how do we flea treat our rescues!

[movehimintothesun]

This is a 'help, advice?' request from you experienced cat people!

We adopted 2 lovely rescue cats about 4 months ago, they have just started going outside after wintering indoors and getting used to the house for a few months. We now desperately need to do the flea treatment on the back of their necks; but we can't figure out how!!! They don't let us pick them up AT ALL, they are pretty feral tbh, and go totally crazy. My DH just tried with a thick coat on and newly purchased cat gloves, and had to let go in the end, our lovely boy was going sooooo wild.

They will let my DD's stroke them, but are super quick to dash off if they sense us coming towards them.

How can we get hold of these terrors without traumatising them?(and ourselves). Are we just being too soft? The only advice from vets etc seems to be just grab them - easier said than done!
(They are spayed/neutered and chipped btw)

My cat doesn’t like being picked up. I have to put a treat on the floor and grab her when she’s eating it. I don’t even try to pick her up but pin her to the floor. DH can then either put the stuff on or swap and he pins her down while I put the stuff on.

Isn’t there a flea tablet the vet could administer? If you could get them to the vet they have pill administering devices that delivers the pill right to the back of the throat & they are 3 monthly I think?

@Wouldntitbenicetobeinyourshoes

My cat doesn’t like being picked up. I have to put a treat on the floor and grab her when she’s eating it. I don’t even try to pick her up but pin her to the floor. DH can then either put the stuff on or swap and he pins her down while I put the stuff on.

Isn’t there a flea tablet the vet could administer? If you could get them to the vet they have pill administering devices that delivers the pill right to the back of the throat & they are 3 monthly I think?

Thank you, that's really useful ideas, will try pinning rather than picking, and if not maybe tablets is the answer!

How old are DDs, could they do them?
Might not be helpful right now but I got my cat used to having the fur on the back of his neck stroked, ruffled, parted. So then when he is relaxed or asleep, I just ruffle his fur like usual and shove it on
He won't tolerate being picked up so I don't do it!

Tried holding /pinning while holding the scruff of their necks?

Just make sure you don't use Bob Martin flea treatment, burns the fur off and actually kills a lot of cats and kittens

Tablets are near in enough impossible I find, unless at the vets with assistance.

I usually wait until my wily feline is hungry but it's not quite food time. Shut the cat flap, give him a couple of treats and stroke his neck whilst really parting his fur between his shoulders, then give him a few more treats then squeeze the prepared tube behind his neck. (N.b. Make sure tube is prepared and ready to go BUT don't do this anywhere near the patient. They know)

Sit back and wait for the side eye when he realises something is amiss then watch whilst he ricochets around the house. Leave well alone for at least 15 minutes. I then generally feed him his favourite food, apologise and expect to be scowled at for at least 24 hours.

We keep our boy in at night so usually have a wary truce by the next morning.

Fortunately I do the 12 week one from the vets

Why on earth do cats make such a fuss about one drop! My girls are fine, but my parents boy is a nightmare!

Reading with interest. I have an ex-feral who won't let us anywhere near her neck. I've not found any way to de-flea her without leaving everyone scarred - her mentally and us physically.