I stink at shots I think...

[My cat Mal]

well, just started but I feel every injection has been questionable. I haven't seen evidence of doing fur shots but when I check out videos I feel I run across things I have done wrong, from angle of needle, to entry angle, tenting his skin and so on. Doesn't help that I can't see super well, even with my glasses on. I know my nervousness is not going to help matters. He has always been one of those cats who is a little aggressive. Meaning if I set him up for the food and pet him a bit as I try to determine where to pull up skin to do injection he gets distracted and starts to become annoyed by me doing that. So I feel I don't have much time to reapproach and get my site secured. When descriptions say pinching the skin helps numb it a bit I think that is just asking for him to turn around and bite at me for taking a hold of him that way. Feeling a bit discouraged...

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

The "tent method" doesn't work for everybody

We do it a little differently....I don't even try to make a "tent"....I just grab some fur between my thumb and forefinger and then "roll" my wrist to gently pull the skin away from the muscle....and then I shoot where the fur "breaks"

This isn't a great picture, but it may help give you the general idea

 

[My cat Mal]

That is helpful, I will try this technique tomorrow, thank you!

 

[Sandi and Toby]

I've never heard of pinching the skin to numb it...I agree that sounds like askin' for trouble! ;-)

Would it help you to shave a patch in which to give the shots? Then you can see for certain that the needle has gone in. You could just have the vet shave it. A three or four inch square on the back of his neck would do it. That helped me a lot for our first diabetic cat. You would still need to rotate the injection site around within the square.

Scritches to Malcomb and hugs to you. It will get easier, I promise!

Sandi & Whisper.

 

[Julie and Eleanor (GA)]

Rolling the skin and shaving a patch are both great suggestions.
I can't see very well either and I also have to be quick with the shot because Eleanor takes spells of running away or flopping onto her side and fighting me. Sometimes I know I have not gotten the angle right.
It will get easier for you with more practice!!

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Many of us had to adapt the standard skin-holding method to suit our limitations. There are some very good suggestions above. You WILL get better with practice - faster, calmer, less fussed if kitty reacts, more determined, etc. Don't be too hard on yourself.

 

[Sootyca]

I'm really lucky that Sky doesn't fight me when I inject but even so a couple of times I have hurt her slightly as she has tried to move away. You would know if you had got it in her fur rather then under her skin - I had thought I had done a fur shot and then realised I hadn't when I did a fur shot in reality - you would feel the insulin being wet on her fur.

Practice makes perfect