Giving a cat a pill

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chookmike
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Giving a cat a pill

Post by chookmike »

Hello everyone

Does anyone have a suggestion on what to make pills attractive to cats. Pip needs 3 a day and having them dropped into a forced open mouth is making him hate us and stop eating altogether.

I can remember my childhood cat loving yeast tablets and marmite but the later is quite salty which might not be good for his damaged kidneys.

All suggestions very welcome!

Cheers

Mike
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wendy
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by wendy »

Can you wrap it in a bit of tuna or wet cat food ?
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Spreckly
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by Spreckly »

We gave our cats a pill concealed in a spoonful of jam. Some cats had to be wrapped in a towel and their noses held until the pill went down.
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by Grannyof4 »

First of all book yourself into the nearest A & E!!!!! You can buy a pill popper and I have found it very useful for difficult cats.
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KarenE
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by KarenE »

Our old cat charlie needed a pill a day, so I used to hide it in those stick cat treats (they are pliable)- mould it around the pill, and it went down no trouble. Jasper is the same.
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chookmike
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by chookmike »

Thank you very much all - we appreciate your time

All you suggestions have been tried (apart from jam! which will be tried tomorrow - which is the best flavour...?) and they all succeeded for a day or two or less.

Yesterday's favourite was left-over lamb meatballs from the spaghetti dinner but no interest this morning - spoilt little brat x

I have every flavour of wet food and today duck was taken. Thing is, he is on them for the rest of his life so just looking for one secret.

Have also tried marmite and yeast tablets which my first cat 'Caesar' loved 50 years ago but things seem to have moved along.

Keep 'em coming please. Might swap him for a Labrador.

Have a good weekend

Cheers
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HedgeHugger
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by HedgeHugger »

Can you crush the tablets between spoons and put them in some kind of fish oil (cod liver?) I used to puncture a cod liver oil capsule and put it on a spoon.

I had a ferret that needed daily tablets 'til end of life and this was just one of several ways to get him to take them.

No salt butter, yoghurt and cream also worked. As did cream cheese. Luckily most of those were things we tended to have regularly in the house anyway so no need for extra expense :)
We found variety helped so if he got bored of one thing we could easily switch to another.
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Mo
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by Mo »

Forcing 3 pills a day down the throat of a struggling cat forever sounds like no life for the cat or you.

Can your vet suggest an alternative.
A longlasting injection or implant maybe.
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chookmike
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by chookmike »

Don't worry Mo, we only did that a couple of times.

Thanks for the butter idea too - we have a pill 'crusher' but he won't go anywhere near anything with the drug's smell - the pill must be hidden and whole. Todays success was a tin of awful looking 'ham' which went down a treat! Don't worry about a few pence - this little problem is already over £400......

We should have had children - they must be cheaper.

Rebecca is enjoying the marmite now
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by Grannyof4 »

Children are definitely NOT cheaper than a cat. Sadly a cat will only be with us for a certain number of years, children are forever!!!!!!!
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Meanqueen
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by Meanqueen »

Some good suggestions there, sorry I can't add to it. I have to give a pill each night to Heidi cat, and use the towel method to completely enclose her body. She is getting used to it, and knows what's coming. Doesn't like it but will not fight me. Cat on kitchen worktop, body under right arm, towel tight under her chin, open mouth with left hand, pop pill in trying to aim it straight down throat. Quickly close mouth, stroke under chin to encourage swallowing while holding head up. Give a quick squirt of water from a syringe to encourage further swallowing. Reward with lots of praises and favourite food.

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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by urbanchicks »

Hello Mike,
A friend of mine gave me a packet of Greenies pill pockets they are small treats with a hole in the middle to take the tablet, they are from America but i understand you can now buy them over here, Google it and see, I have bred and had cats for over 40 years and have the scars to prove it !

Maggie.
chookmike
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by chookmike »

Thanks all - everything noted and to be tried.

Not sure how long the pills will be required though as he has gone downhill again.

Another cat treat is a 'Dreamie', which has a slightly soft centre and if you cut one end off you can stuff the half pill in there.

Seems to me the drug companies are missing a trip here - surely they could add a bit of flavour to the pill?

Cheers

Mike
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by p.penn »

I tried everything with my cats, but in the end, opening their mouth and popping the pill right in, was the only solution for me.
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chookmike
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Re: Giving a cat a pill

Post by chookmike »

Hello PP

We play good cop/bad cop here so R does the force method and I search for the wonder food.

Two discoveries are the stuffing from a commercial sausage roll - rubbish food for cats (and humans) but he'll die without the pills so who cares? Also cheap and cheerful cat food in cans from the supermarket rather than expensive pouches of 'spoilt pet' type stuff at 8 times the price. So we are fine at the moment and he is doing well. Crunch time is when we decide to either pill him for ever or withdraw them and see what happens.

Thank you all for your help so I'll leave this one alone on here now but let you know the final outcome.

Best wishes and have a good long weekend.

Mike
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