As the subject says, i'm trying to apply
topical dewormer to one of my cats, and the instructions say to part the fur on the back of their neck and put it on the skin....Easy to do, except for the fact that my cat is a
breed with very thick and rather long fur. I was fairly certain I got down to his skin or at least into his undercoat, even with all his squirming, but afterwards, it's like all the fur around started to wick away the solution, looking visibly oily/wet.
Anyone have any thoughts on whether this sounds like I actually got it to go on properly despite appearances, besides obviously just waiting to see if he starts passing increased numbers of worms? I do have one more tube to try again, but unfortunately without knowing for sure if it got in his system, we have to wait 30 days.
Any general tips for applying this sort of thing with long-haired cats would be great too - this is the first time i've had to use anything like this, and i'd like to avoid hauling him off to have the vet do it if possible, as he's not due for a checkup for another few months still.
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However, I give my cat a spot-on treatment for fleas, so I can understand what you're talking about. My cat is a short haired domestic, so the fur isn't as big a deal, but it is still a difficult thing to do. The trick is to keep the cat still and part its fur at the base of the neck with both hands. It'll whorl out in the direction its meant to, and after a few brushes, you should see the skin beneath. There is usually quite a lot of solution, and if you put it all in the same spot, it does tend to look like it has just got on the fur. I would suggest applying some of the solution, putting the fur back in place, and then picking a new spot in the same area and repeating.
Even with doing this, you will still see some wetness on the fur... it is unavoidable. However, I've found doing it the way I have explained works best and gets the most solution onto the skin itself. Hopefully it should work with your fluffy bundle of joy aswell!
Also, as is tradition... post pictures of your cat! You can see mine in my avatar... my lovely Gizmo! 3 years old in May! Awwww...
*Thanks Thanatos!
Yeah, that sounds like a very good idea - i'll try it that way if I do end up having to use the other dose next month.
As requested, a couple pictures of the kitteh in question, Nikki -
Aren't cats just the greatest things ever?
Also, in regards to worming, I would go for a tablet that gets rid/prevents all types of worms. I got one for my kitty that does that, and it lasts 3 months, and only cost £1.50 (or about $3). Don't skimp on flea treatment either. Stuff bought from a supermarket or store or whatever is usually not that effective, and doesn't stop all cases of flea infestation. Talk to your vet next time you go about getting something like Frontline (if you guys have that over there). It's a bit more expensive than store bought stuff, but much better. I paid about £30 (around $60) for 6 months worth.
*Thanks Thanatos!
Not so much problem with fleas here, as he doesn't get to go outside or come in contact with any other cats besides his older partner in crime (also a Siberian, female) I think you're right that it is called Frontline though...And I definately wouldn't trust anything for either fleas or worms that wasn't obtained straight from the vet.
One more pic of both of them, the grey one is Tasha -
Did you get both of your cats together? I really want to get my cat Gizmo a little friend. He's an outdoor cat (well, he goes out 2 to 4 hours a day, sometimes more, depends on the weather and his mood) so has other cats to play with out there, but I think he gets a bit lonely when he is indoors. Want to get him a buddy that he can sleep next to, groom/be groomed by and play with and such. Plus, cats are so cool you can never have just one!
*Thanks Thanatos!
No problem Thanks to my relentless spamming of family and friends with pictures, I have a decent amount online in Imageshack and Facebook, so that helps when I need to grab something at work.
We got both the cats from the same breeder, but not at the same time - about a 1.5 year difference between the two of em. They get along decently most of the time except for some romping at night, and it's gotten a bit better as Nikki grows up as far as harassing his sis - I think he tends to get frustrated when she doesn't want to play, and starts getting rough sometimes. Despite the size difference, they've never actually drawn blood on eachother or anything though.
I've always heard that a male/female pair will get along the best, especially if they're both fixed - probably the closer you can keep the age difference, the better, too.
*Thanks Thanatos!
In my experience older cats tend to bully kittens at first but eventually they get used to each other.
Well, with us it was reversed, maybe that had something to do with the male one being the kitten though. At any rate, yeah, they do get used to eachother - and even if they're still fighting, they may get all snuggly with eachother inbetween.
The orange puffball up there has the very cute but slightly disturbing habit of trying to nurse on his sis's feet, which makes him deliriously happy (purring heard from the other side of the apartment), but she doesn't put up with it for very long. Not to mention when he gets all "It can be hugs time right NOW, motherf&*#($" and tries to put her in a headlock to groom her ears.