What
to do if your cat says, "You Want To Put That Needle Where???"
What
to do if your cat says,
"You Want To Put That Needle Where???"
Tips from a sugarcat and sugarbean…namely Jamie and Boots
click here to download this file
see this page of pics from Laura and Clark to help you "visualize" the tent and more!
First, I'll give you Robin's patented tenting advice: First make a tent, then shoot through the door. Picture it like this:
The easiest place to do it is the scruff (in my opinion).
Now ... let's try to minimize the physical discomfort…Are you using insulin straight out of the fridge? Cold insulin can sting as it goes in. You can draw up the dose, then hold the syringe in your hand for a few minutes (and roll it gently a few times while you wait to keep it mixed) before you inject. DO NOT use anything other than your body heat to warm the insulin; other heat sources may damage the insulin and make it less potent or unusable.
The tenting action should provide some numbing to the area. Some folks also give a little "pinch" to the tent as the pinch will temporarily numb the nerve endings.
Make sure you are going in at a relatively shallow angle (parallel to kitty’s body). Hitting the muscle is rather painful. Don't try to inject perpendicular to the cat's body. Remember, you are injecting into the "door" of the tent.
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Don't reuse syringes. Dull syringes can drag against the tissue as they go in. See this link for a pic of a used syringe. Ouch!
Don't use alcohol at the injection site. It isn't necessary, will just make the injection hurt more and will make it harder to know if you missed the injection (not able to do the "wet fur" test).
OK, now
for the psychological part…Always take the cat to the same place for injections (you can use
this place for BG tests also). This is the
"place-where-kitty-knows-you-mean-business". Also, it means that the
rest of the house is safe territory. Don't ever sneak up on him and jab him when
he's hanging out at one of His Places. That will only piss him off.
For Boots, injection place was the food bowl. While he had his head in the bowl, munching away, I gave the shot. (Boots is honeymooning right now, so that's why I'm writing in the past tense.) He would pause ever so briefly, then continue munching away.
Give a small treat after the shot. Whatever kitty likes, but only a very small portion. Boots got a single tiny shrimp or a pounce treat. Always give lots of love and praise.
Ignore all distractions while you are getting things ready for him. Don't answer the phone, don't pay attention to other pets or kids or spouse. Make kitty know that s/he has your full attention and this is a special time with you. Remember that your feelings are projected onto your cat, so feel confident and sure of your ability to do this! If you are nervous and have a shaky hand, kitty will get nervous and fidgety as well. It takes a little while to “master” your technique and routine, but soon enough you’ll be able to do this with your eyes closed (though we don’t advise that!).