HI all

Just need to vent a bit I think as I doubt there's much anyone can do to help on this matter!

Jagger is a nightmare when it comes to his monthly flea/worm spot on treatment! As many of you know, Jon is currently deployed with the RN and is only home for short spells. So the treatments are applied by me on my own. Not easy with one pair of hands - or even two pairs come to think of it! But whilst Hendrix also hates the treatment and is a pain over it, I can apply it to him and he gets over it quite quickly even though he really isn't happy about it.

Jagger is another matter entirely.

Trying to apply this to Jagger on your own is nigh on impossible. It gets put off quite a lot as I know its going to be hellish and I have to time it to him being relaxed and sleepy, as well as in the right position for me to apply. Or I try to distract him with treats while I do it. But as soon as he suspects even the slightest thing, or I have started to apply it - he's off! And then won't talk to me and runs away in fear when I am in his vicinity. I never hurt him as like I said, I only have one pair of hands and one hand is parting the fur and the other applying.

Last night we went through this debacle. I try to do it fairly early in the evening but the days are longer and trying to get him indoors early enough is also a trial in itself. It was already a couple of weeks late and I'm conscious it is flea and tick season, plus the mild winter apparently means they will be rife this year. So I felt I had to get it done.

Well its done. However, he shoots off so quickly I never have any idea if I've got it in the right place! When I do finally track him down, I'm sure he has an owls neck as he's always managed to lick it somehow. Which means he will have an upset tummy. Aaggghhhhhh!

I try to make it as trauma free as possible, but every month this is a horrible experience for both me and Jagger! Last night I had to keep checking on him until he finally settled down as he was howling and trying to open windows and move the barricade from the cat flap. Eventually, about 1am he came into my bedroom and got on the bed with myself and Hendrix, but on the proviso I don't try to touch him. This morning I went to give him a chin scratch and he was off!

I absolutely despair. In one respect, it's calmer just me doing it (Jon immediately gets wound up over it as he knows how Jagger will react which transfers to Jagger before we even do anything) but nothing I can think of makes this an easy and trauma free experience for the poor boy! I'm hoping my mum will be able to help with the next one, but even she can see what a problem child Jagger is with this!

Rant over. {big exhausted sigh}

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Oh Clare ..... I'm guessing this goes on the neck? I give Raiden Frontline. He HATES it. I take him into our bathroom where he has little room to run. He will run around like crazy and then finally just STOP! He gives up and lets me put it on him. He knows he cannot leave the space until it's done and once he stops, I can apply it in a split second and open the door and out he bounds. The b/w cat I feed also gets it and he takes it with no problem at all.

I hate that it's a debacle for Raiden -- but it has gotten better over the years. He knows it's coming no matter what. Thankfully, it's once every 30 days.

That's exactly how I do Hendrix. But with Jagger we could be in there all day in a stalemate! He goes under the sink where I can't get him and refuses to come out. Hendrix is like Raiden, will run about a bit and then I manage to corner him.

He seems to be over it now. I was starting to wonder as he hadn't been home since 9am, and he'd found a blind spot where the pod tracker couldn't find him. So when I finished mowing the lawn I called him and he clearly wasn't far as he soon turned up for a belly rub. Gave him some Applaws as a treat and he's off again. Lovely day today and he's making the most of it!

He probably won't sit with me tonight though. He likes to ensure I understand how annoyed he is! He will find elsewhere for a few days and then decide to come back to the footstool. Little toad.

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Thankfully, Raiden never stays annoyed at me. He heads immediately out to his enclosure but comes right back in and head butts me for treats!

We still don't have the Pod Tracker on Legs. His mom has been over a couple of times but my hubby has been here and the discussion is on anything but Legs and the Pod Tracker.