# Help! Cat Won't Let Me Apply "Frontline Plus"



## cats4me (Jun 30, 2009)

I have a two year old female who makes it impossible for me to apply “Fontline Plus”. She doesn’t like to be held, picked up or even touched much for that matter. Every attempt I have made so far to apply “Frontline Plus” to her has been a disaster. As soon as she sees the green blister applicator she is off like a rocket. If I do manage to grab her, it has been impossible for me to both hold her still, spread the fur so that I can get down to her skin and apply the treatment.

She fought me so hard when I tried to apply it last night that I feared for a few seconds that she had broken her neck. Not only is she missing out on needed treatment when this happens, it also leaves me with a wasted blister applicator. Anyone who has purchased “Frontline” know that these applicator blisters are not cheap. 

The problem to me seems to be that it takes four hands to successfully apply the treatment, two to hold her, a 3rd one to spread the fur and a 4th one to apply the liquid. Unfortunately I only have two. I live by myself and my neighbors are rarely home so I have to make do with just two hands. I had no problem at all doing this with my previous cat. She was a real lap cat and as docile as, well….a kitten. Giving her medicine and/or “Frontline” was a snap with her. This little one is just the opposite however. 

I have read through the threads (both on here and elsewhere) on how to get cats to take medicine (either liquid or pills) orally but they haven’t been any help to me. Right now, the only solution I can see is to take her to the vet and have him apply it. I don’t relish doing that however since vet bills every time she needs “Frontline” would be extremely and in my opinion, unnecessarily costly.

Has anyone here dealt with this problem successfully and/or have any suggestions for me on how to handle this? Thanks.


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## DaveMB (Jan 9, 2014)

grab her with a towel and wrap her up like a burito with just her head sticking out.

She will soon get over it.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Use the mummification technique as above if necessary (I do at times) but also try her favourite food (maybe even an illicit treat) to distract her and do it when she isn't focused.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Yarp. MowMow gets burrito-d every night for his pilling. I use a big afghan that's on the back of the couch.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I have he same problem. If the fur is long, it was suggested to me to use a bobby pin or clip to part the fur. I also resorted to the wrap up in towel like a burrito and I found that really if I just shove the tip in the fur it gets to the skin. I always follow up with treats. Another thought - I switched the flea medication for one of my cats and it doesn't seem to bother her as much. Maybe it is irritating her skin and that is why she fights so hard.


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## Sabrina767 (Sep 5, 2014)

It's also cold...I put it on my father-in-laws kitty (I don't use it on mine) and found if I keep it in my pocket til it warms up, it's less bothersome to the kitty....otherwise she fights like she's defending her life...LOL...but when it's warmed up, much less of an issue.


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## suzieqt001 (Oct 5, 2014)

Agree with everyone else. 

Warm it up. 

Open the package ahead of time and set it in a strategic location to minimize handling (and noise.) 

Wrap her up.

Follow with a super yummy treat. 

My Bengal cat learned very quickly that meds meant a yummy snack afterward. When she saw me grab her meds, she would run to the area where meds were administered and wait for her medication, sit patiently through the application and enjoy the reward afterward. 

I also make a point of using one specific location in the house for medication.


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## sweetcuddles (Jun 30, 2013)

Ok I have many solutions that will work. 

To get kitty used to being picked up: simply pick her up and hold her for a few seconds, if she wants down, let her down. Do this many times, but slowly and with patience. Treats helps with this.

To get kitty used to being petted: when she allows you to pet her, give her a treat and also talk to her gently, assuring her that you are her friend and are not going to hurt her. You could pet her while she is eating or taking a treat.

To get kitty used to application of flea meds: talk gently to her, have treats ready and give some for not running away. Part hair, give kitty a treat. Apply the flea medicine, while talking to her gently. Give her a treat.

Gently talk to kitty while doing all of these things and give her treats as she tolerates these things. Also talking to your cat, will get her used to your voice and she will come up to you as she associates your gentle voice with good things.

Skittles didn't like being held at all. Now she tolerates it for a little bit, when she has had enough, I let her down. When applying flea medicine, she didn't let me, now she does. She has always loved being petted.

Pilling a cat or giving liquids can be tricky. When my mom's cat was sick, I had to give her liquid meds, which she took without any fuss. 

Best of luck to you. I hope I have helped in some way.


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## cats4me (Jun 30, 2009)

Thanks for all of the responses. I tried to use the wrapping her with a towel method with no success. The first time I tried it, she still managed to fight her way out of it and ended up hiding under the bed for almost an hour. The second time I tried it produced pretty much the same results except that now I have yet another applicator which is empty without getting a drop on her.

There are a number of other really great suggestions which I will be trying. I’ve had a number of cats over my lifetime and have never had anything similar to this problem with any of them. Clementine is the most hyper aware and sensitive cat of any I’ve ever had. Over two years of working with her and hoping that she will mellow out with age hasn’t brought much in the way of positive results so far. Just petting her lightly will send her almost straight to the ceiling sometimes. 

My next step is to try warming up the applicator but I’m not convinced that will have any effect. She has yet to have any Frontline liquid successfully reach her skin so she has no way yet of knowing whether it is warm, cold or indifferent. Still, it is worth a try.


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## CatOutofBag (Oct 8, 2014)

If she got out of the towel, you may not be doing it right or wrapping it tightly enough. 

We're talking wrapping it so they can't really move their legs (much at all). Certainly where they can't move their legs enough to work their way out of the towel.

And it's important that the towel is a good bit longer than they are - even w/ back legs hanging down. Once the towel is wrapped (*tightly*) around their body, you need enough towel hanging below the back legs, to fold the end up. That way they can't wiggle out the bottom.

You may need a helper until you get it down or she gets more used to it. Sometimes it helps to sit with the wrapped up animal in your lap - for extra support. Rest their rump or back legs on your lap. Hold one arm - * firmly * around their middle, but low enough so they can't bite you. Again - firmly. 

Some people attach wide velcro strips in several places on a towel. You have to experiment. Once the cat is wrapped, the velcro hold the holds it & requires less holding of the towel.

As others mentioned, give a treat before & after.
You might even try the treats & very short durations of wrapping her, without medicating her. She may come to associate it w/ getting treats.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Does your cat go outside? I see from your other posts that you live in an apartment in a metropolitan setting...so I suspect not. If not and your building is not flea infested then Frontline is not necessary.


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