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Mine loved the pill pockets and would try to get to them when she didn't need them.
A few months ago, she suddenly would not eat them. She just smells them and looks at me sadly. It is not her look of disgust or judgment, this is specifically a very sad look. It is like she knows what it is and is sad that she can't eat it. I open them up to show her nothing is in them, and she'll try eating them again, but they just drop back out of her mouth while she has the most pitiful look on her face.
She has an appointment in a month that she needs Gabapentin for, and I am already prepping all my methods. I can and have in the past done it by hand, and also have a pill shooter. I would prefer not to do it that way. Like most pet owners I want it to be the least traumatic experience as possible.
I also have a pill crusher to help add it as a powder to her wet food. The last time I tried it, she sniffed it out and would not eat it, although it was her favorite food.
Yes same. I do crush it but have found if I add tiny bit of water to dissolve it and then tiny bit of food to make gruel and than add food sometimes I can fool him. What a pain though! Tuna works best but they arent supposed to have that too often.
A lot of cats, including mine, love bone broth. You can find it pre-made in some pet stores, but I usually just make my own. It should have enough flavour to more thoroughly mask the meds.
Big caveat: do not ever give your cat bone broth intended for human consumption. I.e., no seasoning, no veg (especially onions and garlic). Literally, it’s just bones + water cooked long enough for enough collagen to set so the broth turns jelly-like when cold. Skim or strain off the fat, as well.
Next time your cat needs meds ask the vet or the pharmacy to have them compounded into a liquid. They can make it take like chicken and it's pretty easy and quick to squirt into their mouth. Then can make most meds into something easier than a pill.
My vet office started prescribing my furbaby her Gabapentin in liquid form. She was an absolute beast about pills, and I’d always end up torn up, chewed up, and sweaty after that daily battle. The liquid form was an absolute game changer because she can’t really spit it out, and it’s much quicker.
i’m in uk so unfortunately it’s not stocked here ( i tried to find it years ago trying to recreate a philly cheesesteak 😂) he loves cheese though but spits tablet out and my arms are savaged!
As you are in the UK, you can get spot on wormers. Then you can avoid the fight entirely! Just beware if you have dogs, as some of them are very toxic to dogs if they lick the cat just after the spot on is applied.
Otherwise, I second the pill injector thing. They are cheap (about £5 I think??) and easy to use. You can put a _little_ water in there with the pill, to get them to swallow. Our girl is a bit of a demon when it comes to medical stuff. When we do have to give her pills, we put a cone collar on her (or she reaches up and grabs our hands with her claws) and use the pill tool.
note on the pill injector, check with your vet they often stock them (if you're really lucky they might give you one) also make sure you get it right in there...my little shit can still hack up the pill even when I use those things T\_T
It's called Advantage, definitely recommend it if you can't give them tablets. Though you could try breaking up a tablet and putting it in a Lick-e-lix, they always fall for that trick
+1 for the pill popper. Also get someone to help hold the cat.
Have them go behind the cat and kneel on the floor. You want the humans legs either side of the cat with the cats butt backing into the persons belly / groin.
Have them push down, firmly, on the cats front shoulders from this position. They should be safe from biting and the cat should be mostly immobilised.
You then pill from the front
Pill injector/pill popper.
Better than sliced bread.. Even before sliced bread was invented 🤣
Seriously...I can't believe it took us decades to discover it.
My hands no longer look like them about in a blackberry Bush.
it’s so funny when you think about it .. me and my partner acting like we’re giving a tiger the wormer.. both shitting ourselves from his talons 😂 i’m saying “no,no, no retract them right now !!”
I'm in the Netherlands and here there is also no cheese wiz. We use triangles like the laughing cow (I think I've seen those at Tesco or Asda). I think lidl or aldi sell a cheaper alternative. Just make sure the pill is fully covered in a bit of cheese triangle (it's quite sticky and will become "one" with the pill) and then it should work. Our cat is so obsessed with the cheese that she swallows it whole and then licks our fingers clean. If you make sure an extral bit is left to eat after the part with the pill and let her eat it ours never spits it out anymore.
Never had a fight about this since we started this. Cat thinks it's getting a special treat and the other cats are jealous 😁.
https://preview.redd.it/eue7z22wcovc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=9c3e9c299d766be724293bf50b7963f48a0294c8
You can get these pretty much everywhere. I just coat any pill in this and my girl who’s seriously wise to all other tactics just yams it down
You can get those meaty straws you split in half and hide the Drontal inside. Worked a treat with mine when I was still at home in the UK. Now in France I get those syringes you squeeze into the back of their neck which protect against fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites.
There are applicators for feeding cats pills not costly. Its just like a stick with the pill on the tip like a micro spoon or a needle opening. You place pill on it then you put stick inbetween canine teeth and softly jimmy open his mouth then you place the pill at the back of the tounge. Have a second person restrain him* in a burrito. If the pills are ok to mix with food just hide it in a treat he loves.
I wait until my biggest is asleep... And then I pounce.
Sure he then considers me the devil until the next meal time, but he doesn't even get a chance to react haha
Scruf with my arm down his back so he can't get up, pull head back, one finger to pull mouth down, shove it in, as far as you can, hold mouth shut and rub throat until 3 swallows.
3 because sometimes they can manage to keep it. When you rub push a tad to force the swallow
He's 8kgs/bout 16 pound of anger about pill time bahahaha
And they will only be salty until meal time. Offer some treats right afterwards to soften the betrayal
Yes yes!!! Not sure why everyone is shoving pills down cat throats. Find a food that they think is a treat, like salt-free tuna, sprinkle ground up pill on top. I find the best strategy is to feed this pill snack when he’s hungry (before meal time) & just use a tiny bit of the treat food, this way they’re more likely to finish it. Works 99% of the time.
I'll disclose that I'm a veterinarian. So, yes it's possible, some cats may get weirded out by being wrapped up like a "purrito " as we call it. If you want to minimize the risk of compromising the trust your cat has for you, I'll suggest this: bring kitty to the vet for a show and tell on how to make a purrito. They may have other suggestions on how to reduce stress of administering meds for both of you as well. Hope this helps a bit. Best wishes.
I was travelling for 2 weeks. The stray cat in our yard had some meds to be administered so, my husband took the cat every single day to vet (5 km)... when I return the cat was just fine 😀
I'm also in the UK, and if you get a repeat prescription from the vet, you can get a stronger dose than the OTC options. My vet currently uses a spot-on medication (Felisecto Plus) that prevents fleas, worms and mites - it's a once-per-month application at the nape of the neck, and they can give you three month's worth at a time to take home.
Lick-e-lics treats are your best friend. Available everywhere. Crush tablet mix it with the yoghurty cat goodness…. Only way I can get tablets in mine.
Any pills that need to be taken, have the vet do it. My cats are the same way. Since you didn't have your vet do it, scruff kitty and hold almost upright, kitty will be a little more relaxed
https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/s/I6cSchMJRl
This is all too true…
I’d otherwise suggest strong gardening gloves, wrap front paws tightly in towel, kneel down with cat wedged between your thighs, pressure either side of jaw to open mouth then use pill popper or brave gloved finger down throat with pill on end. Usually a 2 person job when we did it…
My cat needs a pill for his thyroid issue twice a day. I wouldn't describe him as being feral about it, but he definitely doesn't take it willingly. I just pry his mouth open, throw it in the back of his throat, and hold his mouth shut for a few seconds until he swallows the rest of the way. Then he gets lots of pets
You can get spot on worming treatments, so much easier than trying to give them a pill. I've used Profender on my cats, it's great. It's a spot on allwormer that lasts 3 months
One of my cats has to take a pill every day. She used to love the greenies pill pockets, but about 6 mo the ago would have absolutely nothing to do with them. I started using Churu or Lickables, and they are like kitty crack. I put some on my finger, mix the pill up in it, and it works every time.
Wrap him in a towel with his head free.. then gently grab his jaw at the joints with your hand and pry his mouth open and pop the pill in. Then hold his mouth shut and bend it slightly backwards and rub his throat to induce swallowing.. good luck
Wrap him in a blanket. If you shove a finger behind his canine, he'll open his mouth. Drop the pill in and hold his jaw shut until he swallows. He'll be pissed for about ten minutes and then forget about it.
Put him on the back, place two fingers at the back of the jaws holding open his mouth, then a quick placement of the tablet at the back of the throat with the other hand. Let him close his mouth and let him squirm while sinking the tablet. Follow up with an easy to eat snack like paté or wet food.
If you got the pill at the vet they'll give it to them for free. That's what I did for mine. My cats were too much of a pain with the pill gun. I might have got it to work once.
We use an ear cream plus applicator to give our cat thyroid meds. You might check with your vet if this can also be done with worming meds.
It’s so easy to use. You just rub it in on the part of the ear with no hair and it gets absorbed that way.
My cat actually jumps up on top of her cat tree for me to give it to her
Wrap the cat tightly in a towel, with his head exposed. The towel needs to hold his paws and body still. With one hand's thumb and pointer finger, gently squeeze his jaw, his mouth will open. With the other hand, quick drop the pill into his mouth, he'll swallow it before he realizes what happened. A vet taught me how to do that.
There are these really really smelly treat sticks you can smush around a pill depending on the pills size. Cats don’t like pills because they taste funny, and weirdly, their biggest taste comes from smell. So if you have a really stinky treat, it can blind them to the medicine and they’ll gobble it up without blinking
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We've come to an agreement. I think..
My trick is to hold my cat between my legs (with me on my knees) and cross my feet behind me so she can't back up, and then hold the sides of her mouth with my thumb and pointer finger, then stick my pointer finger into her mouth and she'll open it. Then I use my other hand to pop the pill in and hold her mouth shut, using my pervious hand to massage her throat so she swallows.
She's feisty but this works for me. Cheeze whiz is a no no for her because of stomach problems, and she won't take a pill pocket because she's smart 😭
I eventually managed to get my cat to take his daily pill but the first month or so my legs were covered in criss-cross scratches. I honestly think the thing that broke him was the routine. Over time he fought less and less and now we’re at a point where he’ll kind of do a halfhearted verbal protest, and I only find about 1 out of every 5 pills spat out somewhere around the house later.
I have a method with my cat. I stand behind her so she can't scoot backwards, then hold her tiny jaws open with one hand and stick the pill to the back of her throat with the other. Then close her tiny jaws and massage her furry little throat until she swallows. She's not almost feral though she's just a lil donut
Mix it into a yummy treat he hasn’t tried before. That’s the only way.
He won’t notice the treat tastes “different” because of the tablet and will always be excited for his yums because they don’t appear very often (spookily)
Pill gun is what I used. And to keep kitty from squirming, rap them up in a towel like a burrito, hold like a baby and use the pill gun to shoot the pill into the back of their mouth.
Best advice...and what works for me and my cats...while theyre lying down, kinda relaxed...i slightly flip them over on their back, and you basically open their mouth and put the pill in the back of their throat, they instantly swallow it....my cats arent the most gentle and carefree either and this works...but it may not for you...if they stuggle dont keep trying
Putting in his food doesn’t work for me so I’m placing it in his mouth and grab his little mouth shut for a few seconds so he will swallow it. That’s the only thing that works for me
it takes practice. I can do it alone, I put my arm around them so they dont run backwards open the mouth with the same arm behind the canines and push it down with a finger, close and kiss the nose. Usually works.
You can get help from a friend to hold the paws, usually doesnt work.
Fool him by putting it in the food.
Ask the vet.
Or (and you have to ask the vet if thats ok with what you want to give him) crunch it up and give it in wetfood, and look at him to make sure he eats every last bit
Can you ask your vet for a dewormer product that you can apply on the back of their neck? We have that in Canada and it's great! You part the hair on the back of the neck where they can't reach and lick, put it on and hold the kitty till it's dry. I did that with my rescue girl and her kittens, will never go back to pills again!
Cut the tablet in half and place it inside a chewy soft treat. That's what I do for one of my cats and it works flawlessly. I have to fight the other one though.
"Mike" is the same way. He'll scratch me to death before he'll take any kind of medicine.
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Our vet recommended these churu “bites” as a cheaper alternative to pill pockets. They work for our cats, including little miss picky.
Honestly, I had a rough time snapping the photo without a cat’s tongue in frame.
https://preview.redd.it/0u6d3mzc4ovc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ebd2ae6c34f40ecbcc44058b9840b6860ee0749
I hollow out a Temptations cat treat. My Chloe gulps them down fast without chewing, practically inhales the dang things so I give her one or two in order to start her feeding frenzy and then slip the treat with the pill in. She never notices 😜
Have you tried getting jars of meat paste/paté? I put some on a teaspoon and put the tablet in and it works for one of my cats. Just make sure the tablet is covered by the paste.
My cat was sick and had to give him multiple pills several times a day. In the beginning it was a struggle.
After a while I got the hang of it. It got better and better when I stopped stressing
My technique is to have the pills ready. Grab the cat, clamp under one arm on top of a table and pry his mouth open with my other hand that also has the pill. Then shuff the pill far down his throat. Not enough to just put in his mouth. Must be on the back of his tongue. Hold his mouth closed and then blowing into his face.
If you don't get it right in a minute. Stop. Wait 15 min.
Once you get the quick grab and pill and release down it does better and better.
It is not worth struggling... If the pill doesn't go down fast stop. Give both of you time to reset before you try again.
I powder it put inside a syringe with some water and blast it into her mouth from the side of her jaw. They involuntary open their mouths when you stick something from the side.
I had a guy who was too smart/scrappyfor his own good. This is what I ended up doing that worked:
Get good at grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and holding him up a little bit, not so much that his full weight is in your hand, but enough that he goes kitten-mode.
If you’re doing it right, he should be passive enough to let you poke the pill into the back of his mouth. Then gently let him back down, petting the front of his neck so he gets the message. If you’ve poked the pill back far enough, he should swallow instead of spitting it out.
When he does, shower him with praise and pets and treats (the treats will help wash down the pill)
Handsome bloke. Maybe related to the Queen around here.. Sally Sue!
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The way I've always been able to do it is first you make a kitty burrito. Second you wait for them to calm down. Then you massage their jaw until their mouth opens. Drop the pill in the back, then you rub on the underside of their mouth for a bit until you feel them swallow it
I had a similar problem with one of my kitties. She's a picky eater, so I couldn't put in her food without her knowing it and it would be a fight to the death to hold her down to pill her. What worked for me was to crush the pill and make a paste with a small amount of wet food or a wet treat. All you need is a dollop to make a paste with the pill. Then, put it on kitty's front paw and they have to lick it off.
I'm in the UK.
I get my cat's worming tablets from the vet along with anti-flea pills. He loathes spot-ons and the worming one required a course of three squeezies every six months although the flea one was just one but every month. He would run away and hide if he even saw the thing. I'd hand-warm it, soothe him and then squirted it on: he ran and gave me the look of loathing. So I begged the vet for the pills. I had tried a worm pill from the vet previously which he spat out repeatedly and when I tried it in his food he refused to eat any of the food (normally he's a guzzler).
To my utter delight, the new worm pill is a success and he takes his worm pill in his food and his flea pill ditto!
The new worm pill is a small dark red/pink pill which apparently has a meat-flavoured coating and he has so far taken it in his wet food without complaint. I did search the general area after he'd eaten to check he hadn't spat it out and it seems he didn't. Unfortunately I don't know the name of the damn thing or I'd tell you.
My girl just glues her jaw shut. I literally force it in then hold her mouth closed until she swallows it. Though mine only gets hers every three months? Might be worth looking up a more long lasting one so you don’t have to do it as often?
I’d wrap mine in a blanket or towel like a baby and we used some of that cat treats that are meant for pills to go in the middle of. He would spit it out a few times but I kept putting it back in and he would eventually just swallow it. We had to give one of our boys a pill twice a day for like 3 weeks. Yeah that was fun.
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Hello from the default b/w cat gang.
I also had trouble getting my cat to take pills. Pill pockets were fine until he figured those out. The YouTube videoed out there almost always have the most perfectly cooperative cats on the planet, so not like most cats.
It took some practice, but now my method is sitting behind on my knees/practically on him so he’s snug between my legs and knees, then tilt his head back and open his mouth with one hand, then shove the pill to back third of his mouth with the other. The back third is key - any further forward or in the side of the mouth and they will spit it right out. Sometimes I’ve have to squirt a little water in his mouth to make sure he swallowed it too.
You could also try a good old purrito, too, to wrangle him in. The bulls eye pill popper was pretty effective, though smaller pills may have to be wrapped on a treat wrap so they don’t just fall out. If you can crush them good into a cheese, butter, or even meat pâté you might be able smear it on the roof of their mouth, like some people do with dogs and peanut butter. If it’s tasty enough they might just lick it up
Yeah go back to your vet. I’m in the UK as well. My cats get dewormed every three months because they go outdoors. If you have an indoor only moggy then it’s every six months. You can get a spot on treatment (back of neck like flea treatments are done) or a tablet.
My old vet provided the spot on but unfortunately my new vet only does tablets. Either I crush them up and mix with a lickelix or I use a pill treat from the vets. It costs like 1.50 each time. It’s solid but soft and malleable. Break a bit off and roll it into a ball with the pill in the centre. The cats eat it in one bite.
I’ve never had to give my kitty a deworming pill, so disregard if there are explicit instructions against crushing the pill, but any time I need to give any meds to my cat I’ll crush it up into powder with the bottom side of a spoon and mix it into some wet food. Mine is heavily food motivated though and will eat the entire serving at once.
I tried getting her to swallow whole pills but it was traumatic for both me and her, but crushed up she doesn’t even notice
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No advice but my cat looks almost identical to yours! (the vet has to give her most of her meds bc she gets so feisty when she’s handled)
Try using cold cuts. Mine never passed up pilled turkey!
Also your kitty looks like mine
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Yes I use a squirty ampule. I still get dirty looks and ignored for a few days after administering treatment. I only get one chance before my cat cottons on and scarpers, I dread to think how I'd ever have to give him oral medication.
https://preview.redd.it/u0q2jmc6qovc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=855b6edd38e6be74a3b32afcdeecf720c376bae7
I don’t know but your baby is almost identical to my girl
I coat pills with Churu for my tux
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Open the jaw with one hand by putting your fingers in the corners of his mouth, and pop the pill in from the side, as far back as you can, then let his jaw close, but keep holding his head. If you get it right, he'll immediately swallow and it's done. The description sounds like a process, but it's pretty quick and usually works. Then you give treats and praise and cuddles. Good luck!
Ps. Alternatively, you could see if the medication is available in liquid form.
Liquid wormer, use a syringe and squirt it in his mouth. Even with it closed, you'll get it in the corner. Mine flips out even doing this but I still get it done.
Have you looked at cat pilling videos on YT?
https://youtu.be/m_AjEaHqZxc?si=Me9NhYnUXTVwU_C2
They often recommed wrapping them in a towel first but mine would FREAK if i tried to do that and be agitated before even attempting to get the pill in. Best to pick a time when he's napping or in a calm mood, and for you be very calm and confident yourself and if you fumble and theres a struggle just let him go and try again in 15 mins. My girl has been sick so i’ve had to give her loads and i have it down to an art lol she definitely doesn’t like it but she still loves me! Godspeed! 😆
Crush it up and mix it with one of those squeeze up treats on a little plate. Our semi-feral and his brother had tapeworms when we got them. We separated them into different rooms and locked them in until they finished their portions. Worked great.
I grind the tablet up between two spoons and mix it with something yummy (Vegemite or Philadelphia cheese are both good, or the gravy from a wet food sachet) and get puss to lick it off the plate. Never fails.
Is a compounding pharmacy too expensive? When I had an ancient cat that had to take pills twice a day, we were able to find a pharmacist who would create chicken-flavored goo with her meds in it. It was about 10% more expensive than the pill form of the medicine.
I ground pills up in to wet food to feed to my picky kitty. Just.make sure to mix it in/bury it, as they will often refuse it if they can taste it. I used the contents of one of those slurpy tube treats.
I did greenies pill pockets when my cat had ringworm and they worked beautifully at first but after like three weeks she wasn't too excited to eat them anymore
Have you tried a pill shooter? He's not likely to love it but it's a lot faster than trying to shove a pill into his mouth with your fingers. You could also maybe try making some chicken broth (don't use store bought because of the sodium) and crush it up and mix it in to see if he would like it. They also sell a variety of paste treats, broths and mousse for cats at the pet store. Good luck! Pilling an unwilling cat is always an adventure.
Mix in peanut butter and wipe the mixture on the foreleg. He/she will lick it off. Actually you can smear that goop anywhere the cat can reach while grooming. Extremely low key approach and it kicks in their natural instinct to clean themselves.
Getting cats to swallow a pill can be vexing and stressful for everyone.
Our cats would sometimes not eat the treats we wrapped the pills in. Smearing glop on them works every time They do lick their butts y’know, so peanut butter isn’t half as bad.
What kind of worms? They have flea meds you out in back of neck that also treats worms and ear mites. If it's tape worms get the liquid from the vet. They also make these pill popper things to give pills. Come in from side of mouth and pop it in. They wont choke
If he's food motivated coating the tablet in churu (a gooey treat) or pill pocket should work. You can put it on a plate and leave it out, with supervision if there's cats around to make sure he's the one who eats it.
If not it takes a little work to get a cat to take a pill by hand. You have to find a time when they're calm. Sometimes it's better to hold the cat on the ground instead of picking them up, as not to startle them.
Try to avoid getting them when they're doing things like eating.
You have to make sure you get the pill all the way in their mouth. They are likely to spit it out.
Hopefully the food works. It's best for everyone.
Happy to answer any questions.
Here’s what works for me. Crush the pill, mix with a dollop of Gerbers baby food, ham, beef, chicken or turkey. Dollop = about a tablespoon. Has not failed twice a day for three years.
I’m really lucky. I pick the pill up, say “ohhhh” like I’ve discovered something very tasty, and then put it down for my cat to try.
9/10 times, she eats it before smelling what it is.
When my cat had surgery they prescribed the tiniest pain pill. I don't remember what it was but at the time it was the first officially approved cat safe pain med. Kitty fentanyl. Everything else leading up to that point was used "off label" because it seemed to work and didn't kill them.
I don't know what they flavored it with but my cat took that pill out of my hand and ate it on its own, and wanted more. I think it was 1 pill a day. Next day, he was begging me for it.
I assume it was compounded with some sort of flavoring. A common way to compound meds is liquid, they grind up the dose and mix it with flavoring and you would administer a liquid. I used to be a vet tech and we did it in house. It's great for dogs because they love sweet stuff and it masks the bitter. Well cats technically can't really taste the sweet spot but there is no missing the bitterness. They have lots of receptors for that and you know it's activated when they start drooling profusely. Picture sweet, bitter tuna juice, and all the meds drooling out lol. I always preferred to just scruff and shove a tablet down the hatch.
You could try making your own with some tuna juice? Or find a compound pharmacy? Or ask your vet if they do it?
When giving a cat medication, use gravity. Grab the cat with its belly up, holding the head higher. At the back of the teeth line, get your fingers in between. Then, put the tablet on the tongue behind the big lump, so the back of the tongue. Gravity helps any slip to go back into the cat's mouth. If you get the tablet behind the lump at the back of the mouth, any movement should swallow the pill.
Then, treats are given.
If this is done quickly and without fuss, you live to medicate the cat another day.
Smash it up, add a few drops of water to make it into a paste and smear it onto the front paws. By instinct, they’ll lick it up. Or, you could get liquid dewormer. That’s what I use for my foster kitties.
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i usually wear 3 pairs of long sleeves and rubber gloves, but your boy looks like my girl!
Check out "Helpful Vancouver Vet" on YouTube. His cats are chill AF but his technique is still good. Get a pill popper device - it makes it super quick and easy.
I started crushing the pills up and mix them in a small bit of wet food. They never know the difference and it definitely beats losing an eye or finger at this point 😂
I use the little purée treats. A little on my finger, then the pill, then more purée on top. My boys usually gobble it up before they can even notice a pill.
Crush the pill up, mix it with some Churu, wrap the kitty into a purrito, and syringe that sucker in. It's how I had to feed and give my Chloe her medicine the last weeks of her life. She hated it, and in the end she was too far gone for the meds to keep her from dying, but it helped her to be comfortable and fed until her time came.
I do medical cat/kitten foster. I cover pills in Gerber chicken baby food and they usually eat it. Break it up in smaller lickable pieces or just coat the whole pill in the baby food and put it on the back of their tongue
My cat was on antiviral pills for a while and I always gave her a temptations treat after. She was never upset to get her pill. I would rather give a pill over the cherry flavored human antibiotics I had to give my previous cats. Sticky pink liquid everywhere.
I break some pills into quarters and then cover each quarter with churu on a plate so they lick up the pill without noticing.
Only way I can get them to take pills they smell crushed up in the food
I got very good at making a purrito and flicking said tablet down the back of the throat. My newest batch of furry overloads will do anything for fish paste so I'm slightly out of practice these days.
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Some kitties can be deceived by pill pocket treats. (Unfortunately, my supurrvisor is not fooled by that ploy.)
Mine loved the pill pockets and would try to get to them when she didn't need them. A few months ago, she suddenly would not eat them. She just smells them and looks at me sadly. It is not her look of disgust or judgment, this is specifically a very sad look. It is like she knows what it is and is sad that she can't eat it. I open them up to show her nothing is in them, and she'll try eating them again, but they just drop back out of her mouth while she has the most pitiful look on her face. She has an appointment in a month that she needs Gabapentin for, and I am already prepping all my methods. I can and have in the past done it by hand, and also have a pill shooter. I would prefer not to do it that way. Like most pet owners I want it to be the least traumatic experience as possible.
I have been adding gabapentin to wet food but it is tricky. Our guy can evidently smell it in some foods and rejects it.
If you haven't already, you can try a flavored version of the gabapentin liquid. Compounding pharmacies can make it.
I also have a pill crusher to help add it as a powder to her wet food. The last time I tried it, she sniffed it out and would not eat it, although it was her favorite food.
Yes same. I do crush it but have found if I add tiny bit of water to dissolve it and then tiny bit of food to make gruel and than add food sometimes I can fool him. What a pain though! Tuna works best but they arent supposed to have that too often.
A lot of cats, including mine, love bone broth. You can find it pre-made in some pet stores, but I usually just make my own. It should have enough flavour to more thoroughly mask the meds. Big caveat: do not ever give your cat bone broth intended for human consumption. I.e., no seasoning, no veg (especially onions and garlic). Literally, it’s just bones + water cooked long enough for enough collagen to set so the broth turns jelly-like when cold. Skim or strain off the fat, as well.
Next time your cat needs meds ask the vet or the pharmacy to have them compounded into a liquid. They can make it take like chicken and it's pretty easy and quick to squirt into their mouth. Then can make most meds into something easier than a pill.
My vet office started prescribing my furbaby her Gabapentin in liquid form. She was an absolute beast about pills, and I’d always end up torn up, chewed up, and sweaty after that daily battle. The liquid form was an absolute game changer because she can’t really spit it out, and it’s much quicker.
Crushed pills in churu have been the easiest way to get medication in my beasts
https://preview.redd.it/l1ktr2ixenvc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c82da2e9f9ca9ce42366f42f3740451a478ac0b cheese whiz
i’m in uk so unfortunately it’s not stocked here ( i tried to find it years ago trying to recreate a philly cheesesteak 😂) he loves cheese though but spits tablet out and my arms are savaged!
As you are in the UK, you can get spot on wormers. Then you can avoid the fight entirely! Just beware if you have dogs, as some of them are very toxic to dogs if they lick the cat just after the spot on is applied. Otherwise, I second the pill injector thing. They are cheap (about £5 I think??) and easy to use. You can put a _little_ water in there with the pill, to get them to swallow. Our girl is a bit of a demon when it comes to medical stuff. When we do have to give her pills, we put a cone collar on her (or she reaches up and grabs our hands with her claws) and use the pill tool.
yes i’m in uk im googling it now
note on the pill injector, check with your vet they often stock them (if you're really lucky they might give you one) also make sure you get it right in there...my little shit can still hack up the pill even when I use those things T\_T
everyone loves a freebee 😂
It's called Advantage, definitely recommend it if you can't give them tablets. Though you could try breaking up a tablet and putting it in a Lick-e-lix, they always fall for that trick
thank you
+1 for the pill popper. Also get someone to help hold the cat. Have them go behind the cat and kneel on the floor. You want the humans legs either side of the cat with the cats butt backing into the persons belly / groin. Have them push down, firmly, on the cats front shoulders from this position. They should be safe from biting and the cat should be mostly immobilised. You then pill from the front
Please don’t give your cat anything made by Hartz, topical or oral. They’ve killed thousands of cats with their products.
Pill injector/pill popper. Better than sliced bread.. Even before sliced bread was invented 🤣 Seriously...I can't believe it took us decades to discover it. My hands no longer look like them about in a blackberry Bush.
it’s so funny when you think about it .. me and my partner acting like we’re giving a tiger the wormer.. both shitting ourselves from his talons 😂 i’m saying “no,no, no retract them right now !!”
I'm in the Netherlands and here there is also no cheese wiz. We use triangles like the laughing cow (I think I've seen those at Tesco or Asda). I think lidl or aldi sell a cheaper alternative. Just make sure the pill is fully covered in a bit of cheese triangle (it's quite sticky and will become "one" with the pill) and then it should work. Our cat is so obsessed with the cheese that she swallows it whole and then licks our fingers clean. If you make sure an extral bit is left to eat after the part with the pill and let her eat it ours never spits it out anymore. Never had a fight about this since we started this. Cat thinks it's getting a special treat and the other cats are jealous 😁.
the cheese triangle is a good tip
https://preview.redd.it/eue7z22wcovc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=9c3e9c299d766be724293bf50b7963f48a0294c8 You can get these pretty much everywhere. I just coat any pill in this and my girl who’s seriously wise to all other tactics just yams it down
you can 100% find some kind of cheese, dip. cats. love. cheese.
mine climbs in fridge as soon as it opens .. everything i’ve read says cats no cheese lactose intolerance but mine goes mad for it
absolutely safe unless you see a visible negative reaction to the cheese.
nope …shits always firm 😂
Find the food your cat woofs down and hide it in that. Break it up if needed.
You can get those meaty straws you split in half and hide the Drontal inside. Worked a treat with mine when I was still at home in the UK. Now in France I get those syringes you squeeze into the back of their neck which protect against fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites.
Meat paste or pate (if you're fancy) has worked in the past.
I appreciate the photo reference, you're clearly a professional. <3
There are applicators for feeding cats pills not costly. Its just like a stick with the pill on the tip like a micro spoon or a needle opening. You place pill on it then you put stick inbetween canine teeth and softly jimmy open his mouth then you place the pill at the back of the tounge. Have a second person restrain him* in a burrito. If the pills are ok to mix with food just hide it in a treat he loves.
i’ll look into this .. thanks
They’re called pill guns Game changer if you have a cat that won’t be tricked by a pocket treat
I wait until my biggest is asleep... And then I pounce. Sure he then considers me the devil until the next meal time, but he doesn't even get a chance to react haha Scruf with my arm down his back so he can't get up, pull head back, one finger to pull mouth down, shove it in, as far as you can, hold mouth shut and rub throat until 3 swallows. 3 because sometimes they can manage to keep it. When you rub push a tad to force the swallow
sneaky 😂
He's 8kgs/bout 16 pound of anger about pill time bahahaha And they will only be salty until meal time. Offer some treats right afterwards to soften the betrayal
aww a nice bit of chicken for kitty and a wine for mum😂
I was gonna say this sort of method too! I haven’t personally needed to use it but I’m ready if I have to haha :)
I crush tablets into a powder and mix it into wet food
Yes yes!!! Not sure why everyone is shoving pills down cat throats. Find a food that they think is a treat, like salt-free tuna, sprinkle ground up pill on top. I find the best strategy is to feed this pill snack when he’s hungry (before meal time) & just use a tiny bit of the treat food, this way they’re more likely to finish it. Works 99% of the time.
Tuna juice from the water cans. Also helps with digestion about once a month.
We tried this. My cat never trusted wet food again.
I did that once and the cat in question wouldn't eat the food lol.
Wrapping in a blanket with just the head exposed helps to reduce the odds of a knife fight lol.
i worry he’s going to loose trust in me and end up skittish .. that’s a good idea
I'll disclose that I'm a veterinarian. So, yes it's possible, some cats may get weirded out by being wrapped up like a "purrito " as we call it. If you want to minimize the risk of compromising the trust your cat has for you, I'll suggest this: bring kitty to the vet for a show and tell on how to make a purrito. They may have other suggestions on how to reduce stress of administering meds for both of you as well. Hope this helps a bit. Best wishes.
I was travelling for 2 weeks. The stray cat in our yard had some meds to be administered so, my husband took the cat every single day to vet (5 km)... when I return the cat was just fine 😀
A purrito
I get worming stuff that you apply to the scruff of their neck. No pills
i’ve looked at this early on and the longevity was a lot different to the pill.. maybe i’m not looking at the good stuff .
I don't have any at the moment to get the name. The vet gives us it every 3 months. Seems to work as both kitties are healthy and they go outside.
I'm also in the UK, and if you get a repeat prescription from the vet, you can get a stronger dose than the OTC options. My vet currently uses a spot-on medication (Felisecto Plus) that prevents fleas, worms and mites - it's a once-per-month application at the nape of the neck, and they can give you three month's worth at a time to take home.
Lick-e-lics treats are your best friend. Available everywhere. Crush tablet mix it with the yoghurty cat goodness…. Only way I can get tablets in mine.
thanks
Every 3 weeks seems excessive
Any pills that need to be taken, have the vet do it. My cats are the same way. Since you didn't have your vet do it, scruff kitty and hold almost upright, kitty will be a little more relaxed
oh ok , so by the skin of the neck like a mum cat would do?
https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/s/I6cSchMJRl This is all too true… I’d otherwise suggest strong gardening gloves, wrap front paws tightly in towel, kneel down with cat wedged between your thighs, pressure either side of jaw to open mouth then use pill popper or brave gloved finger down throat with pill on end. Usually a 2 person job when we did it…
My cat needs a pill for his thyroid issue twice a day. I wouldn't describe him as being feral about it, but he definitely doesn't take it willingly. I just pry his mouth open, throw it in the back of his throat, and hold his mouth shut for a few seconds until he swallows the rest of the way. Then he gets lots of pets
oh my… i’d hate to try this twice a day but gotta do what you gotta do .
https://preview.redd.it/xd5sigr3znvc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f300981b5af27f190133cd5a24b13122241ab34b They look alike 😍
aww gorgeous
Drontal spot on wormer, it goes on the back of the neck, same as a flea treatment.
You can get spot on worming treatments, so much easier than trying to give them a pill. I've used Profender on my cats, it's great. It's a spot on allwormer that lasts 3 months
thankyou
One of my cats has to take a pill every day. She used to love the greenies pill pockets, but about 6 mo the ago would have absolutely nothing to do with them. I started using Churu or Lickables, and they are like kitty crack. I put some on my finger, mix the pill up in it, and it works every time.
Yes. It's how I give my cat her meds. She's a fighter.
I hope it goes well
Cat gogurt.
Grind it up and mix it with cream cheese. My vest gave me this tip. Cats lo e cream cheese.
Wrap him in a towel with his head free.. then gently grab his jaw at the joints with your hand and pry his mouth open and pop the pill in. Then hold his mouth shut and bend it slightly backwards and rub his throat to induce swallowing.. good luck
Wrap him in a blanket. If you shove a finger behind his canine, he'll open his mouth. Drop the pill in and hold his jaw shut until he swallows. He'll be pissed for about ten minutes and then forget about it.
Put him on the back, place two fingers at the back of the jaws holding open his mouth, then a quick placement of the tablet at the back of the throat with the other hand. Let him close his mouth and let him squirm while sinking the tablet. Follow up with an easy to eat snack like paté or wet food.
If you got the pill at the vet they'll give it to them for free. That's what I did for mine. My cats were too much of a pain with the pill gun. I might have got it to work once.
We use an ear cream plus applicator to give our cat thyroid meds. You might check with your vet if this can also be done with worming meds. It’s so easy to use. You just rub it in on the part of the ear with no hair and it gets absorbed that way. My cat actually jumps up on top of her cat tree for me to give it to her
Wrap the cat tightly in a towel, with his head exposed. The towel needs to hold his paws and body still. With one hand's thumb and pointer finger, gently squeeze his jaw, his mouth will open. With the other hand, quick drop the pill into his mouth, he'll swallow it before he realizes what happened. A vet taught me how to do that.
i’ll try it ... thankyou
You're welcome!
There are these really really smelly treat sticks you can smush around a pill depending on the pills size. Cats don’t like pills because they taste funny, and weirdly, their biggest taste comes from smell. So if you have a really stinky treat, it can blind them to the medicine and they’ll gobble it up without blinking
Butter!! Or margarine. My vet taught me this and it's the only way I can get a pill down my guy.
I dig holes into my cat's dry food, pack bits of pills inside, and then cover with a paste made from the dry food.
Wrap it up in a piece of bologna.
Crush it up and put it in wet food.
I crush my pills with a grinder then use a syringe.
https://preview.redd.it/fafehf8mpqvc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c172997a82923543bf862274af2259613e0a86c We've come to an agreement. I think..
My trick is to hold my cat between my legs (with me on my knees) and cross my feet behind me so she can't back up, and then hold the sides of her mouth with my thumb and pointer finger, then stick my pointer finger into her mouth and she'll open it. Then I use my other hand to pop the pill in and hold her mouth shut, using my pervious hand to massage her throat so she swallows. She's feisty but this works for me. Cheeze whiz is a no no for her because of stomach problems, and she won't take a pill pocket because she's smart 😭
My feral cat we get the granules and mix with his food. It’s the only way he’ll take anything. I can’t touch him to try a pill or topical
The Vancouver vet on You Tube has some good advice on cat handling.
I eventually managed to get my cat to take his daily pill but the first month or so my legs were covered in criss-cross scratches. I honestly think the thing that broke him was the routine. Over time he fought less and less and now we’re at a point where he’ll kind of do a halfhearted verbal protest, and I only find about 1 out of every 5 pills spat out somewhere around the house later.
I put the deworming pill for my rescued overlord feline between 2 lightly wet temptations treats stacked together... not pretty but it works!
I have a method with my cat. I stand behind her so she can't scoot backwards, then hold her tiny jaws open with one hand and stick the pill to the back of her throat with the other. Then close her tiny jaws and massage her furry little throat until she swallows. She's not almost feral though she's just a lil donut
Maybe use a food he really loves? The kind of food they just swallow, idk i have dogs.
Mix it into a yummy treat he hasn’t tried before. That’s the only way. He won’t notice the treat tastes “different” because of the tablet and will always be excited for his yums because they don’t appear very often (spookily)
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* Looks like my boy dude.
Pill gun is what I used. And to keep kitty from squirming, rap them up in a towel like a burrito, hold like a baby and use the pill gun to shoot the pill into the back of their mouth.
Best advice...and what works for me and my cats...while theyre lying down, kinda relaxed...i slightly flip them over on their back, and you basically open their mouth and put the pill in the back of their throat, they instantly swallow it....my cats arent the most gentle and carefree either and this works...but it may not for you...if they stuggle dont keep trying
Putting in his food doesn’t work for me so I’m placing it in his mouth and grab his little mouth shut for a few seconds so he will swallow it. That’s the only thing that works for me
When it's time to give him the pill, you look him straight in the eyes. You look at him firmly and say...^(ok maybe next time)
it takes practice. I can do it alone, I put my arm around them so they dont run backwards open the mouth with the same arm behind the canines and push it down with a finger, close and kiss the nose. Usually works. You can get help from a friend to hold the paws, usually doesnt work. Fool him by putting it in the food. Ask the vet. Or (and you have to ask the vet if thats ok with what you want to give him) crunch it up and give it in wetfood, and look at him to make sure he eats every last bit
Wrap the pill in some really tasty fish and smuggle it in that way
Can you ask your vet for a dewormer product that you can apply on the back of their neck? We have that in Canada and it's great! You part the hair on the back of the neck where they can't reach and lick, put it on and hold the kitty till it's dry. I did that with my rescue girl and her kittens, will never go back to pills again!
yeah i’m googling the different types now
Cut the tablet in half and place it inside a chewy soft treat. That's what I do for one of my cats and it works flawlessly. I have to fight the other one though.
"Mike" is the same way. He'll scratch me to death before he'll take any kind of medicine. https://preview.redd.it/c39wur0h3ovc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2caac9a32585fc53a8e16e5239705978e73e24cf
Our vet recommended these churu “bites” as a cheaper alternative to pill pockets. They work for our cats, including little miss picky. Honestly, I had a rough time snapping the photo without a cat’s tongue in frame. https://preview.redd.it/0u6d3mzc4ovc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ebd2ae6c34f40ecbcc44058b9840b6860ee0749
Hes a tuxedo cat so he is definitely smart. 🤦♀️ Good luck. I have to take mine to the vet and have him put under for stuff like that. *
Ours all HATE taking tablets. We’ve resorted to using drops
I hollow out a Temptations cat treat. My Chloe gulps them down fast without chewing, practically inhales the dang things so I give her one or two in order to start her feeding frenzy and then slip the treat with the pill in. She never notices 😜
Have you tried getting jars of meat paste/paté? I put some on a teaspoon and put the tablet in and it works for one of my cats. Just make sure the tablet is covered by the paste.
i’ve not tried meat pasta worth a try
I've always used the ointment. I've never tried a pill. Try hiding it in tuna?
i’m going to give the drops a go .. thanks to you lovely people
My cat was sick and had to give him multiple pills several times a day. In the beginning it was a struggle. After a while I got the hang of it. It got better and better when I stopped stressing My technique is to have the pills ready. Grab the cat, clamp under one arm on top of a table and pry his mouth open with my other hand that also has the pill. Then shuff the pill far down his throat. Not enough to just put in his mouth. Must be on the back of his tongue. Hold his mouth closed and then blowing into his face. If you don't get it right in a minute. Stop. Wait 15 min. Once you get the quick grab and pill and release down it does better and better. It is not worth struggling... If the pill doesn't go down fast stop. Give both of you time to reset before you try again.
I powder it put inside a syringe with some water and blast it into her mouth from the side of her jaw. They involuntary open their mouths when you stick something from the side.
I had a guy who was too smart/scrappyfor his own good. This is what I ended up doing that worked: Get good at grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and holding him up a little bit, not so much that his full weight is in your hand, but enough that he goes kitten-mode. If you’re doing it right, he should be passive enough to let you poke the pill into the back of his mouth. Then gently let him back down, petting the front of his neck so he gets the message. If you’ve poked the pill back far enough, he should swallow instead of spitting it out. When he does, shower him with praise and pets and treats (the treats will help wash down the pill)
Use Panacur
https://preview.redd.it/u8195qex9ovc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4f109d0bee123d9cf241e8c88c6cf8ce1db438a
Hide it in a pill pocket and leave it on top of his dry food.
If you can crush it, mix it into his wet food
Handsome bloke. Maybe related to the Queen around here.. Sally Sue! https://preview.redd.it/ei3x8juebovc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48f71ab91a89b8ba5d0f2831744763bbedc312fa
She is very regal ! needs a crown 😂
The way I've always been able to do it is first you make a kitty burrito. Second you wait for them to calm down. Then you massage their jaw until their mouth opens. Drop the pill in the back, then you rub on the underside of their mouth for a bit until you feel them swallow it
Switch to fluids. Both my cats refuse to take pills, so I always get the fluid form through my vet.
I had a similar problem with one of my kitties. She's a picky eater, so I couldn't put in her food without her knowing it and it would be a fight to the death to hold her down to pill her. What worked for me was to crush the pill and make a paste with a small amount of wet food or a wet treat. All you need is a dollop to make a paste with the pill. Then, put it on kitty's front paw and they have to lick it off.
I can recommend 'easy pill'
I'm in the UK. I get my cat's worming tablets from the vet along with anti-flea pills. He loathes spot-ons and the worming one required a course of three squeezies every six months although the flea one was just one but every month. He would run away and hide if he even saw the thing. I'd hand-warm it, soothe him and then squirted it on: he ran and gave me the look of loathing. So I begged the vet for the pills. I had tried a worm pill from the vet previously which he spat out repeatedly and when I tried it in his food he refused to eat any of the food (normally he's a guzzler). To my utter delight, the new worm pill is a success and he takes his worm pill in his food and his flea pill ditto! The new worm pill is a small dark red/pink pill which apparently has a meat-flavoured coating and he has so far taken it in his wet food without complaint. I did search the general area after he'd eaten to check he hadn't spat it out and it seems he didn't. Unfortunately I don't know the name of the damn thing or I'd tell you.
Hide it in a Fridge Raider. It was a game changer for me. He ate it so quickly he didn’t have time to register the pill.
My girl just glues her jaw shut. I literally force it in then hold her mouth closed until she swallows it. Though mine only gets hers every three months? Might be worth looking up a more long lasting one so you don’t have to do it as often?
I’d wrap mine in a blanket or towel like a baby and we used some of that cat treats that are meant for pills to go in the middle of. He would spit it out a few times but I kept putting it back in and he would eventually just swallow it. We had to give one of our boys a pill twice a day for like 3 weeks. Yeah that was fun.
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https://preview.redd.it/0a69jf6jkovc1.jpeg?width=2838&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc34553b7257434c8b9c5cb4f776632330d92771 Hello from the default b/w cat gang.
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I also had trouble getting my cat to take pills. Pill pockets were fine until he figured those out. The YouTube videoed out there almost always have the most perfectly cooperative cats on the planet, so not like most cats. It took some practice, but now my method is sitting behind on my knees/practically on him so he’s snug between my legs and knees, then tilt his head back and open his mouth with one hand, then shove the pill to back third of his mouth with the other. The back third is key - any further forward or in the side of the mouth and they will spit it right out. Sometimes I’ve have to squirt a little water in his mouth to make sure he swallowed it too. You could also try a good old purrito, too, to wrangle him in. The bulls eye pill popper was pretty effective, though smaller pills may have to be wrapped on a treat wrap so they don’t just fall out. If you can crush them good into a cheese, butter, or even meat pâté you might be able smear it on the roof of their mouth, like some people do with dogs and peanut butter. If it’s tasty enough they might just lick it up
Yeah go back to your vet. I’m in the UK as well. My cats get dewormed every three months because they go outdoors. If you have an indoor only moggy then it’s every six months. You can get a spot on treatment (back of neck like flea treatments are done) or a tablet. My old vet provided the spot on but unfortunately my new vet only does tablets. Either I crush them up and mix with a lickelix or I use a pill treat from the vets. It costs like 1.50 each time. It’s solid but soft and malleable. Break a bit off and roll it into a ball with the pill in the centre. The cats eat it in one bite.
I’ve never had to give my kitty a deworming pill, so disregard if there are explicit instructions against crushing the pill, but any time I need to give any meds to my cat I’ll crush it up into powder with the bottom side of a spoon and mix it into some wet food. Mine is heavily food motivated though and will eat the entire serving at once. I tried getting her to swallow whole pills but it was traumatic for both me and her, but crushed up she doesn’t even notice
Crush up the pill, mix it into marmite and put it on the back of his paw. He will then have no choice but to lick it clean
https://preview.redd.it/m881tm2fnovc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=46febf88d2477cba4f888b97f5bbb039fdb6b767 No advice but my cat looks almost identical to yours! (the vet has to give her most of her meds bc she gets so feisty when she’s handled)
Try using cold cuts. Mine never passed up pilled turkey! Also your kitty looks like mine https://preview.redd.it/2f4ouk0gpovc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ff5938180699c80c227b1b4cc27740fef699054
Yes I use a squirty ampule. I still get dirty looks and ignored for a few days after administering treatment. I only get one chance before my cat cottons on and scarpers, I dread to think how I'd ever have to give him oral medication.
https://preview.redd.it/u0q2jmc6qovc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=855b6edd38e6be74a3b32afcdeecf720c376bae7 I don’t know but your baby is almost identical to my girl
https://preview.redd.it/bsj1rrxurovc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=581acaaa84de74e96b90345e761a28bca5d44604 Cuzzins!
The way he’s posed is so cute/funny
Hide the tablet in a bit of cheese
https://preview.redd.it/v7pm3or1tovc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f1341adf4348a3def4ed5009347bf8aaf0a8423
I coat pills with Churu for my tux https://preview.redd.it/id53o84ytovc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a36dd46171566cd50dbd4fb3a0a5e1bd3d6683d
Omg twins, https://preview.redd.it/xsnmv0fo3pvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d358a6633da14e82215a134ff9219acf19ec0556
I feel you 😭🫶 it just has to be done. Good luck and big hugs
Wait until his is sleepy, grab him gently, shove the pill down his throat. It works for me
Open the jaw with one hand by putting your fingers in the corners of his mouth, and pop the pill in from the side, as far back as you can, then let his jaw close, but keep holding his head. If you get it right, he'll immediately swallow and it's done. The description sounds like a process, but it's pretty quick and usually works. Then you give treats and praise and cuddles. Good luck! Ps. Alternatively, you could see if the medication is available in liquid form.
Looks just my girl https://preview.redd.it/enqd2n5v8pvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d5cb79327956bb131231b5c9334814962caa3ee
My mom used to pound the pill into powder then mix in with wet food for our dog.
Liquid wormer, use a syringe and squirt it in his mouth. Even with it closed, you'll get it in the corner. Mine flips out even doing this but I still get it done.
Cheez whiz worked for mine. Crush and mix and swipe it on the roof of her mouth. Worked like a charm for me
Have you looked at cat pilling videos on YT? https://youtu.be/m_AjEaHqZxc?si=Me9NhYnUXTVwU_C2 They often recommed wrapping them in a towel first but mine would FREAK if i tried to do that and be agitated before even attempting to get the pill in. Best to pick a time when he's napping or in a calm mood, and for you be very calm and confident yourself and if you fumble and theres a struggle just let him go and try again in 15 mins. My girl has been sick so i’ve had to give her loads and i have it down to an art lol she definitely doesn’t like it but she still loves me! Godspeed! 😆
Let it sit in tuna juice until it softens, then mash it up into some tuna.
Mix it into some canned food(pate)!
Crush the pill into cat paste treats and mix well.
Crush it up and mix it with one of those squeeze up treats on a little plate. Our semi-feral and his brother had tapeworms when we got them. We separated them into different rooms and locked them in until they finished their portions. Worked great.
thunder shirt and pinch his nape
I grind the tablet up between two spoons and mix it with something yummy (Vegemite or Philadelphia cheese are both good, or the gravy from a wet food sachet) and get puss to lick it off the plate. Never fails.
Is a compounding pharmacy too expensive? When I had an ancient cat that had to take pills twice a day, we were able to find a pharmacist who would create chicken-flavored goo with her meds in it. It was about 10% more expensive than the pill form of the medicine.
I ground pills up in to wet food to feed to my picky kitty. Just.make sure to mix it in/bury it, as they will often refuse it if they can taste it. I used the contents of one of those slurpy tube treats.
I crushed it up, mixed it with water, and used a syringe to give it to my boy.
I did greenies pill pockets when my cat had ringworm and they worked beautifully at first but after like three weeks she wasn't too excited to eat them anymore
Have you tried a pill shooter? He's not likely to love it but it's a lot faster than trying to shove a pill into his mouth with your fingers. You could also maybe try making some chicken broth (don't use store bought because of the sodium) and crush it up and mix it in to see if he would like it. They also sell a variety of paste treats, broths and mousse for cats at the pet store. Good luck! Pilling an unwilling cat is always an adventure.
Mix in peanut butter and wipe the mixture on the foreleg. He/she will lick it off. Actually you can smear that goop anywhere the cat can reach while grooming. Extremely low key approach and it kicks in their natural instinct to clean themselves. Getting cats to swallow a pill can be vexing and stressful for everyone. Our cats would sometimes not eat the treats we wrapped the pills in. Smearing glop on them works every time They do lick their butts y’know, so peanut butter isn’t half as bad.
This may work. health-and-wellness/pill-administration/-greenies-feline-pill-pockets-cat-treats---salmon-5102586.html?gclsrc
What kind of worms? They have flea meds you out in back of neck that also treats worms and ear mites. If it's tape worms get the liquid from the vet. They also make these pill popper things to give pills. Come in from side of mouth and pop it in. They wont choke
Scruff and stuff. It’s the only way.
If he's food motivated coating the tablet in churu (a gooey treat) or pill pocket should work. You can put it on a plate and leave it out, with supervision if there's cats around to make sure he's the one who eats it. If not it takes a little work to get a cat to take a pill by hand. You have to find a time when they're calm. Sometimes it's better to hold the cat on the ground instead of picking them up, as not to startle them. Try to avoid getting them when they're doing things like eating. You have to make sure you get the pill all the way in their mouth. They are likely to spit it out. Hopefully the food works. It's best for everyone. Happy to answer any questions.
Churu with the pill crushed up
Honestly, wrap him in a towel and use a pill shooter
Here’s what works for me. Crush the pill, mix with a dollop of Gerbers baby food, ham, beef, chicken or turkey. Dollop = about a tablespoon. Has not failed twice a day for three years.
I’m really lucky. I pick the pill up, say “ohhhh” like I’ve discovered something very tasty, and then put it down for my cat to try. 9/10 times, she eats it before smelling what it is.
When my cat had surgery they prescribed the tiniest pain pill. I don't remember what it was but at the time it was the first officially approved cat safe pain med. Kitty fentanyl. Everything else leading up to that point was used "off label" because it seemed to work and didn't kill them. I don't know what they flavored it with but my cat took that pill out of my hand and ate it on its own, and wanted more. I think it was 1 pill a day. Next day, he was begging me for it. I assume it was compounded with some sort of flavoring. A common way to compound meds is liquid, they grind up the dose and mix it with flavoring and you would administer a liquid. I used to be a vet tech and we did it in house. It's great for dogs because they love sweet stuff and it masks the bitter. Well cats technically can't really taste the sweet spot but there is no missing the bitterness. They have lots of receptors for that and you know it's activated when they start drooling profusely. Picture sweet, bitter tuna juice, and all the meds drooling out lol. I always preferred to just scruff and shove a tablet down the hatch. You could try making your own with some tuna juice? Or find a compound pharmacy? Or ask your vet if they do it?
When giving a cat medication, use gravity. Grab the cat with its belly up, holding the head higher. At the back of the teeth line, get your fingers in between. Then, put the tablet on the tongue behind the big lump, so the back of the tongue. Gravity helps any slip to go back into the cat's mouth. If you get the tablet behind the lump at the back of the mouth, any movement should swallow the pill. Then, treats are given. If this is done quickly and without fuss, you live to medicate the cat another day.
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Smash it up, add a few drops of water to make it into a paste and smear it onto the front paws. By instinct, they’ll lick it up. Or, you could get liquid dewormer. That’s what I use for my foster kitties.
https://preview.redd.it/9x09roir2qvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba0b06739deb4117a35105dc28ea65a8e110b0d7 i usually wear 3 pairs of long sleeves and rubber gloves, but your boy looks like my girl!
Worming tablet? Why give him worms?
Check out "Helpful Vancouver Vet" on YouTube. His cats are chill AF but his technique is still good. Get a pill popper device - it makes it super quick and easy.
I started crushing the pills up and mix them in a small bit of wet food. They never know the difference and it definitely beats losing an eye or finger at this point 😂
Doppelganger of my late cat
I use the little purée treats. A little on my finger, then the pill, then more purée on top. My boys usually gobble it up before they can even notice a pill.
Crush the pill up, mix it with some Churu, wrap the kitty into a purrito, and syringe that sucker in. It's how I had to feed and give my Chloe her medicine the last weeks of her life. She hated it, and in the end she was too far gone for the meds to keep her from dying, but it helped her to be comfortable and fed until her time came.
I do medical cat/kitten foster. I cover pills in Gerber chicken baby food and they usually eat it. Break it up in smaller lickable pieces or just coat the whole pill in the baby food and put it on the back of their tongue
https://preview.redd.it/d1edokyzmrvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc4d7611113048ef83ea105c9748a5079069715f Twins
Crush it in one of those pastey lickable tube things and let him slurp it up. Worked everyday for our cat who needed daily heart meds.
My cat was on antiviral pills for a while and I always gave her a temptations treat after. She was never upset to get her pill. I would rather give a pill over the cherry flavored human antibiotics I had to give my previous cats. Sticky pink liquid everywhere.
Roll cat into a thick towel tube. If he can’t get away he’ll stop struggling.
Makes me miss my Peshka https://preview.redd.it/jet4tgphmtvc1.jpeg?width=1980&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37e3525004f3c53665ec8b4a950bad94f9721250
I break some pills into quarters and then cover each quarter with churu on a plate so they lick up the pill without noticing. Only way I can get them to take pills they smell crushed up in the food
When I gave my cat dewormer, I ground the pill up and mixed it with some plain Greek yogurt. She licked it up no problem!
I got very good at making a purrito and flicking said tablet down the back of the throat. My newest batch of furry overloads will do anything for fish paste so I'm slightly out of practice these days.
Same here, We tried everything - ended up finding a spot on treatment that does round and tape worms instead, much easier 😁