About two weeks ago, a very scruffy, sorry-looking, but affectionate, cat turned up in our back garden. After scurrying into the house and checking out the facilities, she decided it was a suitable hotel and adopted us as her new owners. She was in a very bad shape, with patches of fur missing, covered in scabs, and looked very underweight. We tried, and failed, to locate an owner, so we decided that rather than stress her out further by giving her to a rescue centre, she could stay at her new home (i.e. our sofa).

We took her to the vet, who said that she had been infested with lice, and probably worms too (not surprising considering she was drinking from the drain). They recommended Frontline to eliminate the flea problem, which was the cause of her bald patches and scabs. Many cats have an allergic reaction to the bites caused by ticks and fleas, and in this case it was causing her so much discomfort that she was tugging her own fur out and biting herself.

We bought a six-dose pack of Frontline for just under £18, which is quite pricey but is almost guaranteed to eliminate all fleas and lice from the cat's fur. The treatment is applied once per month, and is easy to use Each dose comes in its own pipette, and is applied to the back of the neck. In the case of our cat, she didn't even notice that we'd put it on her, although I have read on the net that some cats go ballistic when this stuff is used, so you my need a sturdy pair of gardening gloves if your cat has a mordacious streak!

The formula is strong, and pretty toxic to humans. After it has been put on your pet, it is advisable not to touch them for at least 24 hours. It is also fast-acting, as it should purge the animal of all skin-dwelling parasites within two to three hours.

It's also worth remembering that if the animal has fleas, that the parasites don't always live in the fur, and are more often found in the surrounding environment. It is well worth getting a household flea killing spray to treat any soft furnishing and furniture, and to wash any bedclothes and clothes at a high heat to kill off any eggs that may be in there.

Thankfully, Frontline seems to be working quite well. Her grooming has become less aggressive, and she doesn't pull her fur out now. She still scratches at the scabs, but we try to distract her with games and toys when she becomes too upset.

Hopefully Ragwort (so named because we found her in the weeds and it seemed to fit her scraggly appearance) will be totally free from parasites and the accompanying itchiness, and her fur will grow back to its former glory!