Cats and Flea/Worm Treatment: Miki's Least Favorite Thing

Hi, I'm Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.

Miki is the first cat I have ever had the privilege of having in my life. And he is just amazing! His recall is better than the dogs’, he loves cuddles and follows me around like a puppy but is also fearless and confident. However, one thing we both dread is his flea and deworming treatments. This is the one time where I am not sure if it is actually worse for him, who doesn’t understand what’s going on, or me, who consciously knows what I’m doing, with his best interest and health in mind.

Being A Vet Doesn’t Help

You’d think, with all the animals I see on a daily basis, having lost count of the number of tablets and spot-ons I’ve given to them or applied on the back of their skin, I would know how to deal with my own cat. Well, I don’t. It’s frustrating. And scary. A strange feeling altogether. It’s not that I fear he may hurt me; I fear he may hold it against me and it could ruin our bond.

And maybe, there’s that annoying tickling fear that my little cute and gentle Miki could turn into a savage monster, as cats sometimes do. Well, he hasn’t. Worst case, there were a few disapproving meows and attempts to escape my arms. But so far, he hasn’t tried to scratch or bite me. Still, it takes me a few days of mental preparation before I even consider giving him any treatment. Let’s just say, his last worming tablet has been sitting on my desk for the last month. I really need to get it done.

We Go Through All The Side Effects

Working as a vet, I know about the possible adverse effects associated with some products against fleas and worms, mainly spot-on products, because, and you may have guessed, cats try to lick it off. I mean, as smart as it is to apply them at the very back of the neck where they supposedly can’t reach, I swear that Miki is able to clean the whole thing off within minutes.

The last time he had a spot-on 2 months ago, despite me using my regular tricks of giving him his favorite pâté while applying it, followed by a walk to keep him distracted, everything that could go wrong just did. Not even 20 minutes later, Miki was drooling, because of course, the product is bitter and is not meant to be swallowed. He even seemed briefly disoriented and not himself, again not a surprise, but I don’t need to try and explain how guilty I felt.

My Worst Nightmare

After a few days, we both forgot about it and life was good again. Until the next time. Vaccines also started to cause me a degree of stress after Miki developed a reactive lump following his rabies vaccination. Giving Miki an injection at home, which is something I can certainly do as a vet, as easy as it sounds, without the hustle of car travel, which he absolutely hates, is also quite stressful for me. He doesn't object to it much and is generally unbothered, while I am a worrier and always find something silly to be concerned about. One thing I realized a long time ago is that with my own animals, it’s best to put the veterinarian in me aside, and just be their owner.

Is There Hope?

Miki is still a very good boy. He lets me check his teeth and gums, and popping a tablet in his mouth shouldn’t be that hard. Instead of focusing on how wrong things may go, with Miki hating me for it, I needed to stop and think about how to reduce the stress for both of us. I crushed his tablet and disguised it into his pâté and he lapped the whole thing up without any issues. The spot-on is a different story and is probably something I will need to be more vigilant about, in terms of working on my distractions. But, all in all, I am so grateful for Miki’s lovely personality. He really is one of a kind.