ModChick
Drama Llama
True North Strong and Free
Posts: 5,078
Jun 26, 2014 23:57:06 GMT
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Post by ModChick on Jun 6, 2019 5:01:40 GMT
Had a cat that absolutely went crazy when your tried to give her pills, which as you know is so very difficult to deal with. I always felt so bad trying to wrap her up and hold her down. Even when she was so sickly she would fight like hell when she saw the towel and pill container come out of the cupboard.
Thankfully what she was taking was available in a shot so we were able to take her into vet and they administered the shot. The shot vs pill did cost a bit more but well worth it to avoid the stress on our cat (and us).
Now I am sure the vet would have recommended this as an option if it was one for you but Incase it hasn’t been thought of...
Hopefully you figure out something that works. One of the worst things to deal with as a cat owner. My dogs on the other handle swallowed pills like they swallow treats, I’m sure the pill didn’t even touch their mouths, just a quick gulp as I’d say here’s your treat. Lol. Goofs.
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Post by nlwilkins on Jun 6, 2019 5:03:47 GMT
We had a lovely female part main coon cat who was very easy going until it came time for pills. The last few months of her life we had to feed her every meal and every bit of water she ate. We would wrap her in a towel, burrito style with just her head sticking out. Then using a pill popper, we would open up her mouth using forefinger and push the pill popper into her mouth, push the button, remove pill popper and hold her mouth shut until she swallowed. The towel and pill popper made it possible for just one of us to administer the pills, and once she had the pills, we could feed her via syringe. We got the pill popper from the vet. It was a simple tool here is a link to a pic of one
www.valleyvet.com/swatches/13445_L_vvs_000.jpg
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camcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,112
Jun 26, 2014 3:41:19 GMT
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Post by camcas on Jun 6, 2019 9:43:19 GMT
Have you ever tried just pilling her? Pandora, my cat that passed away last month had a daily medicaton. For about a year I was able to hide it in a treat. Until the day that she decided it wasn't going to work any more. CATS...sigh. She did not like to be picked up. Every morning I would get everything ready (she also had to use an asthma inhaler), pick Pandora up and set her in the chair right next to me on my left. She liked that bette than being IN my lap. I then gave her a treat (she was very treat motivated). Then I'd wrap my left arm around her, holding her close to me. Pick up the pill in my right hand, then gently tip her head back so she was looking at the ceiling. Pry the mouth open. Quickly drop the pill (quite literally) down her throat (it was in my right hand), and poof, we were done. More treats and lots and lots of praise. There are tons of youtube videos if you're better with visuals. Good luck! ETA: if you're stressed about this, your cat will be too. Find a time where you're not rushed. In a quiet location. Make it a ritual. And go into it knowing that success is the only option. This is sort of what I do- also if you pick up the scruff of the neck the cat will go placid and mouth will drop slightly open- it’s a reflex for when the mother cat carries them this way as kittens you don’t need to dangle the cat just pick up the scruff. Then a treat and a good head scratch and you ‘re done!
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Post by Skellinton on Jun 6, 2019 12:13:08 GMT
Have you ever tried just pilling her? Pandora, my cat that passed away last month had a daily medicaton. For about a year I was able to hide it in a treat. Until the day that she decided it wasn't going to work any more. CATS...sigh. She did not like to be picked up. Every morning I would get everything ready (she also had to use an asthma inhaler), pick Pandora up and set her in the chair right next to me on my left. She liked that bette than being IN my lap. I then gave her a treat (she was very treat motivated). Then I'd wrap my left arm around her, holding her close to me. Pick up the pill in my right hand, then gently tip her head back so she was looking at the ceiling. Pry the mouth open. Quickly drop the pill (quite literally) down her throat (it was in my right hand), and poof, we were done. More treats and lots and lots of praise. There are tons of youtube videos if you're better with visuals. Good luck! ETA: if you're stressed about this, your cat will be too. Find a time where you're not rushed. In a quiet location. Make it a ritual. And go into it knowing that success is the only option. This is sort of what I do- also if you pick up the scruff of the neck the cat will go placid and mouth will drop slightly open- it’s a reflex for when the mother cat carries them this way as kittens you don’t need to dangle the cat just pick up the scruff. Then a treat and a good head scratch and you ‘re done! She does not go placid when picked up by the scruff though! She screams and spits like the devil. I really think it was because she was abandoned so young and who knows what happened to her the first 3 weeks of her life. She didn’t know how to groom or anything when we got her, our older cat had to model for her what to do! My husband gave her the pill just now and again she took it fine! I think she senses my stress. I am going to try my hardest to relax tonight knowing I have so many back up options and I am going to give her an empty cheese ball when I get home well before dinner and actual pill time to see if that helps. Thanks again for everyone commiserating and offering suggestions! i really do appreciate it!!!
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Country Ham
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,314
Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
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Post by Country Ham on Jun 6, 2019 13:44:01 GMT
I admit I am mean. Call it the old pediatric RN in me. Sometimes it just has to be done. All the TLC and cajoling in the world sometimes doesn't work. Sometimes you have to hurt their feelings. If I couldn't secure them firmly in my lap without getting scratched then I would wrap them in a towel, tilt their heads back, pry open their mouth and pop the pill into the back of their throat. Hold the mouth lightly closed till they swallowed.
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Post by MichyM on Jun 6, 2019 14:32:58 GMT
This is sort of what I do- also if you pick up the scruff of the neck the cat will go placid and mouth will drop slightly open- it’s a reflex for when the mother cat carries them this way as kittens you don’t need to dangle the cat just pick up the scruff. Then a treat and a good head scratch and you ‘re done! She does not go placid when picked up by the scruff though! She screams and spits like the devil. I really think it was because she was abandoned so young and who knows what happened to her the first 3 weeks of her life. She didn’t know how to groom or anything when we got her, our older cat had to model for her what to do! My husband gave her the pill just now and again she took it fine! I think she senses my stress. I am going to try my hardest to relax tonight knowing I have so many back up options and I am going to give her an empty cheese ball when I get home well before dinner and actual pill time to see if that helps. Thanks again for everyone commiserating and offering suggestions! i really do appreciate it!!! She is quite the drama queen, isn’t she?!?
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Post by Skellinton on Jun 6, 2019 16:09:06 GMT
She does not go placid when picked up by the scruff though! She screams and spits like the devil. I really think it was because she was abandoned so young and who knows what happened to her the first 3 weeks of her life. She didn’t know how to groom or anything when we got her, our older cat had to model for her what to do! My husband gave her the pill just now and again she took it fine! I think she senses my stress. I am going to try my hardest to relax tonight knowing I have so many back up options and I am going to give her an empty cheese ball when I get home well before dinner and actual pill time to see if that helps. Thanks again for everyone commiserating and offering suggestions! i really do appreciate it!!! She is quite the drama queen, isn’t she?!? She really is! Had she been my first cat, she probably would have been the only. She is so sweet (when she wants to be) and beautiful and entertaining we just love her to pieces. Sometimes when you are petting her she is purring away and snuggling in then in an instant her eyes get a manic look and she lunges at you! We call it crazy face, it is terrifying. Then she is done and purring all over you again. It doesn’t happen often, much less as she is getting older, but still, she is something else. The other 4 are so much easier, but she is my special girl.
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Post by MichyM on Jun 6, 2019 16:51:53 GMT
Skellinton I laughed when you called her “special.” We do love our crazy pets regardless of their idiosyncratic behavior, don’t we? Good luck tomorrow, if we lived near each other I would totally come over and help out.
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ashley
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,400
Jun 17, 2016 12:36:53 GMT
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Post by ashley on Jun 6, 2019 17:35:29 GMT
If you do decide to go with raw food, I found the easiest way to deal with it was to buy it fresh and come home and portion it into small serving sizes, spaced out on wax paper on a freezer tray. Freeze then put into a baggie. Then each morning I could take out one serving and thaw in the fridge till dinner and give it to her that way.
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Post by scrapcat on Jun 6, 2019 17:59:52 GMT
I didn't read all the replies, but have you tried a cat burrito? Where you roll them up in a towel. Check youtube. It's almost like a baby, swaddling nice and tight (not too tight) but I find my cats do better when I swaddle them up really good, just like a baby. I think they actually feel comforted by it.
Is there an issue with biting? or just can't hold? Also try sort of "sitting" on cat, not really but straddling your knees around their sides and hovering over them. Close your feet together in back, so they can't scoot out. Grab around the bottom of chin and as they open mouth, tilt head up, place pill far back into throat, use a syringe of water to help wash down.
I've gone through all kinds of antics with my pill taker, issue being she can't have it in treats bcz she has ibd. Pill pockets do make a hypoallergenic one (duck), but they stopped making it for cats. I ended up doing some research and found the dog one had same ingredients, so I use that once in a while if I am in a hurry or if someone else is giving it to her. It smells gross, but I think the smell is so strong that it covers up any bitter pill. Both my cats love it. I just give them a tiny piece empty, then add pill to one and they gobble it right up.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 5:16:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2019 18:26:14 GMT
I googled for you. How to give a cat a pill: Pick up cat 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 ten. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold 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 and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil, and blow down drinking straw. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer 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. Open another beer. 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 cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of Scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom. Call fire department to retrieve the damn 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 the little @!!@#@#$%'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of steak filet. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down. Consume remainder of Scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and remove pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table. Arrange for SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters. This brought tears of laughter to my eyes. Thanks for the giggle. I'm no help - I had to put pills in food to get my cat to take them. Even though he liked to be held, he didn't like a pill shoved down his throat while being held.
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Post by anniefb on Jun 6, 2019 18:50:23 GMT
This is the method a friend of mine uses for giving pills to her cat who has hyperthyroidism. It seems to work very well - he takes the pills without issue. She actually does it in a way where he sits on the sofa and she lifts his front paws slightly off the ground by lifting him by the scruff of the neck - that way he can't scratch with his front paws. This video recommends smearing a small amount of butter or margarine on the pill so it doesn't get stuck in the cat's throat. www.hornbyvet.co.nz/videos/giving-your-cat-a-pill/
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Post by kellapea on Jun 6, 2019 21:27:06 GMT
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M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128
Jun 29, 2014 12:11:41 GMT
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Post by M in Carolina on Jun 6, 2019 23:55:36 GMT
Get one of those pill guns You put the pill in it, stick it down into the back of her mouth and push the plunger. Wrap her in a blanket to hold her steady. A purrito. Then praise her and give her a treat. I would wait for Gris to curl up by me to give her the pill. She wasn’t a fan at first, but once she got used to it, she was ok. The gun makes it really easy, and they can’t taste the pill. Practice using the plunger a few times.
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Post by birukitty on Jun 7, 2019 1:26:17 GMT
If you do decide to go with raw food, I found the easiest way to deal with it was to buy it fresh and come home and portion it into small serving sizes, spaced out on wax paper on a freezer tray. Freeze then put into a baggie. Then each morning I could take out one serving and thaw in the fridge till dinner and give it to her that way. That's one way to do it. There are all types of raw food out there. Some you buy already made. Some you make totally at home. We decided to go with a company that provides an organic powder base that when mixed at home with raw ground meat (we use organic chicken) water and salmon oil makes a 100% nutritionally complete diet for cats. They have formulas for kidney diseased cats (that's how I first found them-when Biru had kidney disease), healthy cats, and one for dogs. Their website is http://www.felineinstincts.com Like I mentioned above we've been using this food for 5 years. I can make up a batch that lasts a week or two (depending on how much I make) in 10 or less minutes. We put it in glass canning jars and store it in the freezer. Then we shift a jar at a time to the fridge and it stays in the fridge for 2 days (no more) while Jesse eats from it. He loves the food and much prefers it to dry kibble. I remember one time we ran out of the powder expectantly and fed him dry kibble (he wouldn't touch canned food) for the few days it took for the powder to arrive. It was shocking how much water he drank while eating the kibble as compared to eating his raw food.
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Post by Skellinton on Jun 7, 2019 1:36:08 GMT
Well tonight was a success, I gave her an empty cheese ball when I got home and she gobbled it up after sniffing it for a few minutes. Then when was actually time for the pill I gave it to her before I had started getting any of the food ready. Normally I get the food ready then get the pill ready. I try to give them the pill and let them have dinner right after they take the pill. Today I let her have the pill before I even had dinner cans out. I also made sure I was very calm and not stressed and it seemed to go well . I will try that again tomorrow, in the meantime gelatin covers and bacon paste are both on their way to my house .
Thank you all!
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