doing the shots right

You can take your long haired cat to the vet for them to shave a spot so you can see where you are injecting, this will get you used to giving the injection.

Don't bludgeon yourself! It gets better with practice. I don't usually give fur shots anymore, but it still happens. Do you use the tent method, pull up the loose skin at the scruff of the neck and shoot into the triangle? We've been doing it that way and it works for us. When Buddha is squirmy or in the wrong position (so the skin isn't as loose) it's harder. I just stick the needle into the fur firmly and push in the plunger. But you could part your cats fur first (with your third hand, lol.) I seem to remember in the beginning I had someone hold the cat, and scritch him under the chin, while I gave shots. Have you found the Feline Diabetes Message Board (felinediabetes.com/FDMB/ )? They have hundreds of members, give excellent advice and someone is always around to help. And messages aren't limited to 1000 characters! They were a life saver for us. Good luck!