How To Get Topical Flea Med On Ferals

marmoset

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 1, 2015
Messages
714
Purraise
1,137
Location
NJ
I'm hoping someone can suggest a method to get revolution on unhandleable (yes even with toweling) cats. The cat in question is indoors and doesn't take crushed oral tablets in food (other than capstar but I can't afford to capstar endlessly). I can get her in a trap if absolutely need be but I have no way of getting my hand anywhere near behind her head/ shoulders for application.

The cat in question is going through socialization currently so I'm trying not to distress her too much.

Is there a long plunger tool I can use or some other crazy device that can go into a cage and be depressed to give the dosage?
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,442
Purraise
33,215
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Hi. I don't know if it is even possible!!! I did find this information (see below data in quotes) from this article: Fleas, Ticks, and Feral Cats: What’s Being Done? | petMD

"Another thing to address is the environment. “All-natural insecticides can also help manage fleas in outdoor settings,” Richmond says, suggesting diatomaceous earth (use the “food grade” variety only—it’s the safest) and beneficial nematodes as two possible options. “Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder made from the fossilized remains of tiny, hard-shelled algae called diatoms,” she says. “It will kill fleas on contact…and it can be sprinkled in cats' shelters or other places where they spend time.” Beneficial nematodes, she explains, are microscopic worms that eat flea larvae. They will not harm cats, and can be sprayed on the lawn. In addition to these options, Burton recommends Insect Growth Regulator (IGR), which stops the cycle of breeding in fleas. This solution needs to be diluted and allowed to dry before cats come around; it’s best applied in areas where cats sleep.

Additionally, if caretakers want to go the extra mile, it is possible to treat feral cats with the same types of flea medicine as a house cat—just bear in mind that feral cats cannot usually be handled. Burton recommends oral flea medications that can be mixed into the cat’s food and don’t require a prescription. For a more natural option, she suggests “supplementing the cat’s food with about a teaspoon of unprocessed brewer's yeast daily to help repel [but not kill] fleas.”

Some ideas anyway...
 

msaimee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
1,850
Purraise
1,697
Location
Western PA
This is how I managed to treat my outdoor, untouchable feral cat with monthly Frontline Plus. Are you able to sit next to your cat while he is eating his favorite food? If not, that can be a goal of yours. My feral would not allow me to touch him, but I could sit right beside him. I would feed him his favorite food, chicken breast in broth. While he was eating, I would carefully dribble the Frontline Plus between his shoulder blades. Once in awhile it would annoy him, and he'd briefly look up and hiss, but it never annoyed him to the point of stopping his meal or running away. In other words, distraction is a great way to administer a topical flea medication. For my cat it was food.
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,583
Purraise
22,963
Location
Nebraska, USA
Remember, if the cat is now indoors and there is no signs of fleas, they do not have to receive flea medication. I have given worming topicals to my ferals, Profender, by waiting until they are eating, and lightly stroking the back of their neck, then quickly applying the medication. The trick is to be quick and squeeze the vial hard! You first have to get them used to a light stroke. If not, I give meds mixed in a small amt. of tuna and juice. The smell disguises the med.
 
Top