Ever had a problem giving your cat a pill?

[ycbm]

 

[millikins]

Instructions for Giving your Cat a Pill
Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth
with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.
Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cats head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 pint of
water down throat to wash pill down.
Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye.
Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

To be fair to all the cats I've had through the years, and my current 2, giving them pills have never been the problem, it's the not spitting the pills out part that sometimes have been the problem.

Many years ago, we had a cat who was a master in the art of not swallowing a pill. My mum first tried mixing pieces of a pill into his food.
After he had finished eating, there was a neat row of sucked off, spat out pieces of a pill along the edge of his plate.

After some attempts using various types of food, all with the same result, we started with letting one person hold him, and another person put the pill in his mouth. He spat it back out, so we began trying to hold his mouth shut for around a minute. Thinking he must've swallowed by then, we let him go, he jumped down, and spat out the pill. So then we added stroking his throat until he swallowed, before letting him go.
Within a week or two, he had figured out we didn't let go until he swallowed, so he quickly swallowed, we let go, he jumped down, started casually walking away, and some metres away, he spat out the pill.

After that it was in with the pill, hold his mouth shut with one hand, stoke his throat with the other, after he swallowed, open his mouth to check for pill, see the pill either still in his mouth or flying past your face as he spat it out when you opened his mouth to check so it was gone, quickly close his mouth before he had time to spit the pill out/find the pill, put it back in his mouth and then close his mouth again, stroke the throat some more, he swallowed, we checked so that he actually swallowed the pill this time...

 

[FinnishLapphund]

On the subject of giving pills to cats, I happened to find this on Boredpanda:

 

[PurBee]

When my cat needs meds, the vet sees my anguished panic expression and says “dont worry, its liquid”….ohhhh the relief is palpable

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

This is a hilarious thread!!!

Hate those dreaded words from the vet of "give it a pill daily".

You end up feeling like the Priest from The Exorcist (don't worry, only the over 50's will know what I'm talking about!) where he's trying to administer holy communion to the Demon........... yeaph, know what it must have felt like for sure.

 

[suestowford]

I had to give a cat steroids once, in a pill. The vet said, they're palatable and I thought Oh yeah! But the vet was right, this cat thought they were cat treats. Easiest dosing I've ever had to do. I wish the manufacturers would make them all like that.

 

[PurBee]

I must admit, i’ve had more hassles giving pills to female cats than the males. The males are a bit like geldings, not sure what just happened, and just go on their day and not overthink the pill-popping weirdness of opening their mouth.

The female felines are very much more alert to every move!

One female i had rescued with her kitten son, after all other kittens were rehomed, was easy to get the first wormer pill in her as i dont think she ever had any pill-popping experiences previously. Within half hour of giving that pill she threw up live roundworms!
Never in my life had i ever witnessed such a thing, so thought i must get another pill into her pronto - she’s full of worms….and thats when the battle ensued, as detailed above! Its amazing how far they can spit pills! You think you’ve won the battle only to find a pill stuck to your jumper or hair later that day

 

[suestowford]

Another one of my cats had to have a week of pills and she wasn't happy about it. So I got her some creamy yoghurt, and as soon as the pill was in her mouth she'd get a spoonful of yoghurt. She loved yoghurt and was so focused on it that she forgot to spit the pill out. Mary Poppins was right

Giving a pill is bad enough but I think putting in eye drops is worse!

 

[fetlock]

My previous cat was utterly impossible where meds were concerned. Even wrapped like a burrito in a large bath sheet didn’t help. I did contemplate investing in one of those cat strait jacket things but she passed before I got round to it.

My current one is a dream however. Soft as muck in every way. Pills, easy as anything and liquid meds she loves the taste of and actually looks for more later. In short, a definite drug addict in the making, given the opportunity.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’d be too scared to even attempt such a silly thing

 

[FinnishLapphund]

This is a hilarious thread!!!

Hate those dreaded words from the vet of "give it a pill daily".

You end up feeling like the Priest from The Exorcist (don't worry, only the over 50's will know what I'm talking about!) where he's trying to administer holy communion to the Demon........... yeaph, know what it must have felt like for sure.

Cilla is getting old, and have been having some health issues, leading to that she's on 2 pills a day. Besides a few attempts at spitting out the pill in the beginning, it haven't caused much problems. I just quickly shove the pill in, and put a bowl with food in front of her. She clearly loves food more than she wants to object about getting a pill, so, as said, it's honestly not been causing much problem at all.










But don't think I'm trying to boast about that. Cilla does a really good job at showing me who the real boss of the house is.








The problem is that the new pills means she can no longer get her 1 daily pain killer pill for her stiff old joints. So now she instead needs to go to the veterinarian 1 time per month to get an injection to keep her old joints happy.
2 veterinarian visit in 2 months was begrudgingly acceptable.
Last week we went in for her 3rd injection the 3rd month in a row.

Awhile after we came home Cilla, in what I interpret as a way of saying "I didn't say anything at the vets, but I disapprove", peed on the living room floor.

We already have a date for her 4th injection in April, and then they also want to check her again for diabetes. But last time I only brought some Dreamies for her, not her food bowl + a pouch of wet food. I'm not making that mistake again!
I'm planning on bringing extra yummy food to give to her when the vets are done with her. Plus giving the transport an extra puff of Feliway spray.

 

[Cortez]

Getting any form of medicaments into our cat invariably results in bloodletting, and none of it is his…….

 

[SEL]

When my cat needs meds, the vet sees my anguished panic expression and says “dont worry, its liquid”….ohhhh the relief is palpable

Tiny little 3kg Missy needed a course of antibiotics and pain relief last year after getting into a fight with another cat (cost me £2k but we won't go there). When the vet said antibiotics I think I started whimpering. Liquid syringe though meant I could rugby tackle her, force the syringe in, press it down and run away fast. I don't even think it tasted that bad.

Need to do spot on but she has a 6th sense for me even unwrapping the stuff and disappears under the bed.

 

[ycbm]

Why does my tabby fight spot-on flea treatment! Silly boy has an allergy to fleas and is really irritated without it. Doesn't he know it's good for him? And even if he doesn't, what's so bad about a spot on the back of the neck, huh?
.

 

[Cortez]

Why does my tabby fight spot-on flea treatment! Silly boy has an allergy to fleas and is really irritated without it. Doesn't he know it's good for him? And even if he doesn't, what's so bad about a spot on the back of the neck, huh?
.

It does actually make them feel a bit queasy though, so I imagine he remembers and isn't keen on the experience. And the dog version can paralyse and kill cats, so it's pretty powerful stuff.

 

[PurBee]

Yeah, chemically it’s quite strong and can affect them. One male cat, his neck hair fell out after flea spot on treatment! Thats what alerted me to it being powerful stuff. I flea combed him after that - he didnt have a flea issue luckily, as it would have been difficult to continue the spot-on considering his body’s reaction to the stuff.

 

[PurBee]

Tiny little 3kg Missy needed a course of antibiotics and pain relief last year after getting into a fight with another cat (cost me £2k but we won't go there). When the vet said antibiotics I think I started whimpering. Liquid syringe though meant I could rugby tackle her, force the syringe in, press it down and run away fast. I don't even think it tasted that bad.

Need to do spot on but she has a 6th sense for me even unwrapping the stuff and disappears under the bed.

2k Sel!
My little madam was only just manageable with the liquid drops - still took 2 of us!

(that basket she’s in is my mushroom collecting basket - when she turned up in the middle of the road as a unweaned 4wk old pile of fluff hamster sized. Hand feeding swiftly ensued, and immediately put her in that basket as a temporary bed, wrapped up in my cashmere poncho. Ever since, even 15yrs later, wherever that basket is, she finds it and claims it!)

 

[SEL]

Yup £2k.

Guess who forgot to renew the cat insurance only 6 weeks before too (sobs quietly)

Nasty abscess needed 2 lots of surgery. They discharged her quickly after the second lot because the tiny cute ball of fluff was attacking the staff!!

And once a cat has claimed something it is theirs forever.... Unless there is clean washing to sit on obvs

 

[TheresaW]

My MiL’s cat has just started on thyroid medication. Apparently, the only way she will take it is if it is covered in cream cheese, then wrapped in a slice of Parma ham! How, just how, did she get to work that out?

I would like to say the cat is not a spoiled madam, but I would be lying.

 

[Boulty]

I used to have a cat that took his worming tablets in baked beans.

Current cat is bribe able with wet fish flavour dog food, ham (unless he unwraps it) or cheese. Lickilix is pointless as he just licks around things (does same if you put things in his normal food)

 

[SEL]

My MiL’s cat has just started on thyroid medication. Apparently, the only way she will take it is if it is covered in cream cheese, then wrapped in a slice of Parma ham! How, just how, did she get to work that out?

I would like to say the cat is not a spoiled madam, but I would be lying.

My mum took in one of my cats when I worked overseas and realised he liked small bits of cooked steak. She wanted him to stay when I came back to the UK and I think he decided the food offering was better with her too! When he went onto thyroid meds in his late teens he used to get 3 pieces of steak so he wouldn't know which one had the pill in.

Not at all spoilt

 

[ycbm]

It does actually make them feel a bit queasy though, so I imagine he remembers and isn't keen on the experience. And the dog version can paralyse and kill cats, so it's pretty powerful stuff.

I didn't know that. The other two don't care, but he runs away when he smells it. It's a shame to force him but he has a really severe reaction to something down here that's biting him and gets spots of hair loss and inches long tracks that run up the sides of his spine if he doesn't get done every month.
.

 

[photo_jo]

Instructions for Giving your Cat a Pill
Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth
with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.
Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cats head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 pint of
water down throat to wash pill down.
Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye.
Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

How to give a dog a pill-wrap it in bacon

 

[ycbm]

How to give a dog a pill-wrap it in bacon

Depending on the breed of dog, you'd need a lot of bacon!