help! I need to remove a flea collar on my feral

mamaandmimimama

My two former ferals are the best therapists!
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2020
Messages
5
Purraise
12
Hi guys! I'm new here, thanks for your help :)
Three years ago I rescued a pair of cats--the mom and daughter that were living outside my apartment. Last summer I mistakingly let a friend's dog visit and didn't know I had introduced fleas into my home. I got a mobile vet to come and long story short it was a pricey process to get the fleas removed, not to mention pretty traumatic for these former ferals.
Mama now sits on my lap when I invite her onto the couch with a blanket, and miraculously, I was able to (over a few days) work the Seresto collar off her neck. Her daughter, Mimi, however, is much more timid and doesn't come sit on my lap (yet). She loves when I pet her but anytime I attempt to touch the collar, she runs away.
I know I should have used the other medication for fleas and most definitely never had a dog over, but I learned from those mistakes.
In these Covid-times, mobile vets are pretty much non-existent, and I need to get her collar off somehow. And even if a vet could come over, I want to avoid traumatizing her again at all costs. Does anyone have any suggestions? I know it's got a safety break-away feature, but it's not like I can get a good handle on it without spooking her. Thanks for any help you're willing to offer!
 

Jcatbird

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
10,301
Purraise
58,376
Location
United States
You may have to shake her up a little bit. You could try using the little scissors that are made for trimming infant fingernails. They are sharp edged but have rounded, blunt tips. You might practice on something sort of thick first. Wrapping kitty in a towel, burrito style might keep her still until you can snip it off. I find them a bit hard to remove using the buckle part myself! Maybe you could clip it with large toenail clippers too. I think that once it is off, she’ll like how it feels to have it gone. Give her treats while you work. Something that takes time to lick up should work. The lickable treats are something most cats love. All meat Gerber second foods baby food might work yo keep her distracted too. We ALL learn as we go. Thanks go to you for taking such good care of them.
 

kittychick

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
Messages
1,611
Purraise
1,959
Location
Ohio
Glad you found your way here! It always warms my heart to hear about someone who's going the extra mile (finding a mobile vet to help with ferals/semi-ferals is a feat in and of itself!). For me, this site's always been a great place to learn how others solve issues (no matter how big, small or obscure the issue - it never ceases to amaze me that there's always someone here who's had to solve it already!).

As always - Jcatbird Jcatbird gave some great advice. I agree - the buckle's going to be the tough part. Definitely practice multiple times before you try anything on her. I'd pick up a super cheap collar of similar thickness to practice cutting it - you'll feel more confident when you go to cut it while she's wearing it. Shelters I've worked for usually remove collars w/round-tipped infant scissors (cheap & easy to find, but not always strong enough). Or garden/kitchen scissors w/rounded ends, since they're usually stronger.

You mentioned it's a Seresto collar - I found a video showing how they say to remove it (looks like a process - even on a patient cat!). I won't say much about the collar itself - sounds like you've already found out that flea collars aren't a good way to go --- effectiveness-wise or health-wise for kitties (I've had 2 friends lose kitties b/c of extreme reactions to them). But it sounds like you were doing the best you could at the time for them. Hey - we're all learning all the time!

Video by Seresto on how to remove flea collar

Burritoing is an option - some people do it well - I'm not one of thm. For me, the easiest time to do anything that might spook them is often while they're eating something extra yummy. They get caught up in the bliss of eating & get a little less aware of what you're doing. I usually distract with "kitty crack," which is Gerber's 2nd Foods Chicken and Gravy (human baby food) - not as a meal, but as a super special treat (I put a pic below so you'll know what to look for). It's the safest flavor - other flavors have unsafe ingredients. Plus it's the flavor cats usually go bonkers for! Let her have a bit in the days leading up to your first collar cutting session - she'll figure out quickly that when she smells the baby food, something yummy's around the corner! It's definitely my favorite distraction!

Another option: If she's comfortable w/anyone else (I know that's doubtful) - they could sit on the floor in front of her, slowly doling out the kitty crack, while you work from the side/back to cut off the collar.

Bottom line - patience is going to be the key! Don't worry if it takes multiple small sessions. And reward her (perhaps more kitty crack or roast chicken?) immediately after every session - successful or not.

You'll get it!!! Keep us posted.

Gerber baby food Kitty Crack_.jpg
 

moxiewild

Seniors, Special Needs, Ferals, and Wildlife
Super Cat
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
1,112
Purraise
1,520
Another option -

Ask your vet if they will prescribe gabapentin to allow you to try to remove the collar.

Isolate kitty in a room, feed them food with the medication mixed in, and wait. You may ask if your vet would be willing to give several doses in case she refuses some of the food at first.

Also, call regular clinics in your area. Many offer at-home appointments, but don’t advertise it as much or at all. Others would be willing to just send a tech over for something like this at the cost of a regular appointment or less.
 

kittychick

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
Messages
1,611
Purraise
1,959
Location
Ohio
Gabapentin suggested by moxiewild moxiewild is a great option. Some (not all!) vets (at least around here - your area could be different!) won’t prescribe w/o having seen the cat previously. But even if your “regular vet” won’t —- it’s probably very worth making a few calls to vets/spay/neuter places in your area. Make sure to explain the situation. And def don’t downplay her ‘street history’ - and how hard you’ve worked to get her to where she is. It shows your determination & the depth to which you care — something that can (& should!) make a vet/clinic feel more comfortable perhaps “bending” normal rules!

I do hope you update us. My fingers are absolutely crossed for you — and her!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

mamaandmimimama

My two former ferals are the best therapists!
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2020
Messages
5
Purraise
12
Hi Everyone! I wanted to let you all know that the collar is successfully off!!! Thank you all so much for your kind words of advice and encouragement, it definitely helped knowing there were people cheering us on!
I'll tell the story in case it helps someone else in the future :)
As far as drugging goes, Mimi is way too smart for them. I tried pill pockets, I tried mixing it in her favorite treats--I even tried to disguise it in-between her favorite treat (make the first bite non-drugged and the second bite drugged), but nothing worked. She really has street smarts! I even experimented with different types of drugs for cats but she can smell the chemicals and won't go near them.
My girlfriend was able to help me in the end because we had to forcefully put her into a blanket burrito and use blunt-ended garden scissors. I ordered all the other scissors you guys mentioned but when I tried them on the collar I took off of the other kitty (so glad I kept it), they were no match for the thick plastic the Seresto collars are made of. I knew that whatever I was going to end up using needed to be quick, especially without her being drugged.
Since I always gave my girlfriend treats to give to the cats, they always came out of hiding when she came over. She was able to sequester collared kitty into a room, but was unsuccessful in getting her into a blanket burrito. At one point during the process of having her in a corner of the closet, she was so scared that she went to the bathroom--literally scared the $&*# out of my cat! We felt so bad, but we knew we needed to get the collar off, and we were determined. Because she was behind a curtain on the other side of the room, I closed the closet off and we left the room for about 10 minutes to regroup and let kitty calm down. Closing off that closet access was pure instinct and might I add... genius!
When we came back to the room, she tried to run into the closet again, and since it was closed, she had no choice but to jump onto her cat tower. We were able to quickly put a blanket around her and scoop it under her legs and hold it real tight so she couldn't move. Having her at our height was definitely an advantage. While my girlfriend held on for dear life, I snipped the collar, and the rest is history! :)
 
Top