Take it from somebody who knows. It's funny how a cat knows when something is up. All's they have to see is the pill gun or a cat carrier, and they get freaked out. I can hide the pill gun, but it's damn near impossible to hide a cat carrier. Then there's trying to pick up a cat that is squirming, growling and hissing, and keeping is steady long enough so that the meds can be administered.

Gotta love cats; they don't take any nonsense from anybody.

So is the cat you're looking after (the one of the 12 that was sick anyways) back from the vet?

What was wrong with it?

As for giving a cat a pill, if you can, let gravity help you, just like when you're putting them in a carrier.

birds aren't fond of being dosed either. i think this might be true of all of our animal buddies

Nothinbutjoy said:

So is the cat you're looking after (the one of the 12 that was sick anyways) back from the vet?

What was wrong with it?

As for giving a cat a pill, if you can, let gravity help you, just like when you're putting them in a carrier.

Yes, this is one of the 12 cats that I've been watching. She was sick when I started caring for her, then she vomited again, and had to be taken back to the vet. She had a bladder infection, and her stomach was upset. I was thinking of trying to lay the cat on her back (wrapped in a towel), opening her mouth, and then dropping the pill in. But I'm always afraid that she'll start choking or something. I only have tomorrow and Sunday to go until her owners come back. I'm going to have to stick it out until then.

XxAxX said:

birds aren't fond of being dosed either. i think this might be true of all of our animal buddies

That is very true. Heck, even I don't like taking medicine. I can't imagine an animal liking it either.

Ever tried to stick the pill into a meat ball or a piece of cheese? (depends on what she likes)

Wrap the kitty in a towel mummy like. Neck back a little pop pill in with neck still backwards and tickle throat area it will soon swallow. Unwrap towel quickly and run before kitty seeks revenge

MarySharon said:

Ever tried to stick the pill into a meat ball or a piece of cheese? (depends on what she likes)

That probably won't work. They aren't like dogs. Dogs dive right into food. They don't even realize or care about what they are eating. Cats, on the other hand, check their food out (sniff) before they eat it to find out if it's something they like. My cat NEVER fell for the old pill hidden in the food trick. I would always have to buy his medicine in liquid form. I used to have to give my cat insulin, too. He'd run every time he saw me going anywhere near those needles.

be it pills or liquid rxs it takes the two of us to dose my cat. one holds her and holds her mouth open while the other gives her the rxs...

the joys of having a sick cat

XxAxX said:

birds aren't fond of being dosed either. i think this might be true of all of our animal buddies

nobody...birds, dogs, humans...nobody looks forward to an enema dear.

BlackAdder7 said:

XxAxX said:

birds aren't fond of being dosed either. i think this might be true of all of our animal buddies

nobody...birds, dogs, humans...nobody looks forward to an enema dear, unless i'm the one administering it. what do you say? i'd sure like to get to know you better.

ooo. that sounds so... intimate... i dunno. gimme a moment to think about it. i'm always up for new things, me. still though, it's kind of... too intimate in a way if you know what i mean not that i don't like growing closer to you... because i do.. and not that i don't trust you or anything... still though... then again someone once said love is blind. i guess going forward, we can only pray that it likewise cannot smell a thing.

[Edited 2/19/11 1:10am]

TypoQueen said:

Wrap the kitty in a towel mummy like. Neck back a little pop pill in with neck still backwards and tickle throat area it will soon swallow. Unwrap towel quickly and run before kitty seeks revenge

This always worked best for me. Getting the pill down was a son of a bitch. She'd get that damn tongue moving and when I thought she swallowed, suddenly that pill would pop out under her tongue. But once someone gave me the throat tip, it was much, much easier.

MarySharon said:

Ever tried to stick the pill into a meat ball or a piece of cheese? (depends on what she likes)

I did put a bit of food on the end of the pill. A pill plunger seems to help too.

TypoQueen said:

Wrap the kitty in a towel mummy like. Neck back a little pop pill in with neck still backwards and tickle throat area it will soon swallow. Unwrap towel quickly and run before kitty seeks revenge

What's funny is, I tried doing that, but I could tell the cat didn't like it. She seems to get more aggravated and angry, like she doesn't like being covered up. Probably because she feels like she's not in control.

kitbradley said:

MarySharon said:

Ever tried to stick the pill into a meat ball or a piece of cheese? (depends on what she likes)

That probably won't work. They aren't like dogs. Dogs dive right into food. They don't even realize or care about what they are eating. Cats, on the other hand, check their food out (sniff) before they eat it to find out if it's something they like. My cat NEVER fell for the old pill hidden in the food trick. I would always have to buy his medicine in liquid form. I used to have to give my cat insulin, too. He'd run every time he saw me going anywhere near those needles.

I tried putting a crushed up pill into the cat's food. You're right, it definitely does not work. Cats can sniff that stuff out in a heartbeat. Liquid medicine definitely is easier to administer to a cat. All's you have to do is stick the syringe into the side of the cat's mouth (close to the back of the throat), and push the plunger. The cat will usually swallow the meds, with no problem. Funny how cats know when something is up whenever they see needles, syringes, or their cat carrier. Cats are smart, that's for sure.

purplemookiebut said:

be it pills or liquid rxs it takes the two of us to dose my cat. one holds her and holds her mouth open while the other gives her the rxs...

the joys of having a sick cat

That's how it is with two of the cats that I own (or should I say, they own me). They turn into devil cats anytime you try to give them meds of any kind. They howl, scratch, and try to squirm their way out of it. The way they carry on, you would think that they were being abused or something. My dad has to wear thick gloves, and hold the cat down, and I have to quickly administer the medicine. It usually works, but I know what you mean when you say that giving a cat meds is a two-person job.

BlackAdder7 said:

XxAxX said:

birds aren't fond of being dosed either. i think this might be true of all of our animal buddies

nobody...birds, dogs, humans...nobody looks forward to an enema dear.

XxAxX said:

BlackAdder7 said:

nobody...birds, dogs, humans...nobody looks forward to an enema dear, unless i'm the one administering it. what do you say? i'd sure like to get to know you better.

ooo. that sounds so... intimate... i dunno. gimme a moment to think about it. i'm always up for new things, me. still though, it's kind of... too intimate in a way if you know what i mean not that i don't like growing closer to you... because i do.. and not that i don't trust you or anything... still though... then again someone once said love is blind. i guess going forward, we can only pray that it likewise cannot smell a thing.

[Edited 2/19/11 1:10am]

JuliePurplehead said:

TypoQueen said:

Wrap the kitty in a towel mummy like. Neck back a little pop pill in with neck still backwards and tickle throat area it will soon swallow. Unwrap towel quickly and run before kitty seeks revenge

This always worked best for me. Getting the pill down was a son of a bitch. She'd get that damn tongue moving and when I thought she swallowed, suddenly that pill would pop out under her tongue. But once someone gave me the throat tip, it was much, much easier.

Don't you just hate it when a cat spits the pill out, after you think they've already swallowed it? Stroking or tickling a cat's throat definitely helps them to get the pill down, and makes it much easier.

I don't know if this will help. Or if this cat's stomach can tolerate it.

My cat loved licking the small amount of hairball relief product which had his daily pill in it.

He'd hear the rattle of any pill container & he'd run to my side.

*pill rattle* = Buddy Holly: "Gimme. GIMME!"

[Edited 2/19/11 16:39pm]

we crush the medicine and put it in his food...easy

psychodelicide said:

Funny how cats know when something is up whenever they see needles, syringes, or their cat carrier. Cats are smart, that's for sure.

Oh yes, I forgot about the cat carrier. Whenever my cat saw the carrier come out, I'd spend 15 minutes chasing him around the house in order to catch him. Then, I'd have to have someone help me put him in the carrier. He'd fight til the bitter end! He associated the carrier with going to the doctor's office.

kitbradley said:

MarySharon said:

Ever tried to stick the pill into a meat ball or a piece of cheese? (depends on what she likes)

That probably won't work. They aren't like dogs. Dogs dive right into food. They don't even realize or care about what they are eating. Cats, on the other hand, check their food out (sniff) before they eat it to find out if it's something they like. My cat NEVER fell for the old pill hidden in the food trick. I would always have to buy his medicine in liquid form. I used to have to give my cat insulin, too. He'd run every time he saw me going anywhere near those needles.

Generally it's the case, cats got their sense of smell highly developed. For cats, the main thing which gives appetence to food is the smell of it, and they're way fussier than dogs.

Then you got to deal with exceptions. I used to have a cat who was a real greedy pig, you could have stuffed his food with a big amount of pills, he'd eat whatever anyway!

I'll bet you're happy today!

We have rescued feral cats at our stables and a couple of times we have had to give them tablets, we put the tablets into their favourite food (something strong smelling whitebait, chicken etc) and they tend to eat it without thinking. With one of the cats who wouldnt eat it this way we used to have to catch him (luckily he was one of the tamer ones who would actually come near us) and then open his mouth and put the tablet in and try and stop him spitting it back out. Cats are never easy but its part of what makes them so great.