The Flea Flee Fee

All the HKCs have been scratching a lot recently.  It's bloomin' irritating, being woken at 4am by the powerful 'thud-thud-thud' of a hind paw vigorously working at an itch.  I investigated, come daylight, bowl of hot water at the ready.

The 'nit-comb' (designed for children's heads) removed about a dozen live fleas from HKC2, and I drowned them in the bowl.  HKC3 has a thing about being combed and buggered off before I could get more than four out of his fur and HKC1 heard me coming and also scarpered.

A colleague reminded me that the chemists now sell the appropriate 'spot on' flea-killer drops - cheaper than getting the same thing from the vet - so I rang a large well-known pharmacy to enquire: for just over £30 I could have six phials.  With a discount for working where I do, there was a 10% reduction in that fee.

While discussing this at main reception, the head pharmacist from another well-known company  (based next door to the practice) overheard and offered to check his fees: after discount - £21.

I took that offer.  But the nerdy-number section of my brain was disappointed: there would have been about 2000 steps to the vet's, great for a lunch-time exercise.  Had I gone for the first pharmacy, 1000 footfalls could have been added to my count.  As it happens, the second (and successful bidder) pharmacy lies less than 200 steps there and back and that's the one I chose.  Good for the pocket, bad for the pedometer.

I did an extra walk to and from Hoss that evening to make up for the 'lost' steps, de-flea-ed the HunterKillerCats and wondered what I should do with the 'saved' £9 ...