Our cat, Zoey, has always been very healthy. We’ve had no major health issues with her, and we’re so grateful for that. This year she turned 11, and boy-oh-boy is she making up for all the years of vet bills that she saved us. In the past six months, she’s had numerous ear infections, and believe it or not, chin ACNE. Yes, folks, I said ACNE. My cat has acne on her chin and I have to use Stridex pads and cream on it. And every time I think I’ve got it under control, it flares up again. Same with the ear infections. Then she started losing the hair on the back of her legs, and I decided to have a full and major blood work-up done on her. My biggest fear was that she might have some kind of life-threatening disease, but thank God the blood test revealed that her tyroid was out of wack. Not unusual for an 11 year old cat.
So, the doctor prescribed some pills for her to take. Oh, and while I was at her last check-up, the doctor discovered that she also had a urinary track infection. ::sigh:: So, I was sent home with medication for both issues — pills that she had to take TWICE a day. That means, trying to get FOUR pills into my cat each day. Really!?!
Okay, if you have a cat, you know that giving a cat a pill is no easy feat. If you put it in their wet food, they eat around it. If you wrap it around some kind of treat, she’ll spit it right out. I even tried to give her the pill using Petromalt because it’s so sticky and sticks to the roof of her mouth. But sure enough, she kicked the pills right back out. So, I’ve had to resort to pinning her down and TRYING to stick it in the back of her throat — and not only does she get majorly pissed off, there are times when she STILL spits it back out. Now, everytime she sees me coming, she bolts and hide — even when I don’t have to give her a pill. I really feel bad, but I have to get these pills in her!
So, if you’re a cat owner and have an easy solution to giving a cat a pill, please, please, SHARE!
Oh, and for those of you who aren’t cat owner and don’t know the stress that is involved in giving a cat a pill, here is a humorous summary for you:
HOW TO GIVE A CAT A PILL:
Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 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 and 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 glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus jab. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.
Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
Arrange for SPCA to collect cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.
HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL:
Wrap it in bacon.
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
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Would a pill cutter work, and cut it up pretty good and maybe put in it’s wet food. Maybe get it down to a fine powder and then put in the wet food. I used to have to give my dog a benadryl. She was always itching. It is hard giving them pills.
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I am soo sorry about your cat… but I’ve only had dogs… so I don’t have any helpful hints… Hope you get some soon….poor kitty…
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Your Vet should sell pill pockets. Put the pill inside, once it’s inside the cat’s mouth, it’s forced to chew. Or dip the pill in butter. Or Hi-Cal, again from the Vet. Also, the Vet should have pill shooters (that’s what I call them). Pill is inserted on one end, put in the cat’s mouth, and it has a trigger mechanism on the other end. Shoots the pill into the cat’s throat. I’ve used one for years, for both cats and dogs.
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Pill pockets don’t work, but that pill shooter might!!! I’ll have to ask my vet about that!
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Some people call them pill poppers. They are quick!
Put a little butter on the pill as well, it slides right down the cat’s throat.
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So sorry about Zoey’s run of bad health. Hopefully things turn around soon. I’ve heard of the pill shooter too. Believe it has worked for my friend with her cats.
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So sorry to hear about your cat….
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I have several cats and have not had to deal with the pill issue with this bunch. I did have this issue year ago. l would have to shove that pill far into the throat and then hold their mouth closed and stroke down her throat. The rubbing down the throat would make her swallow. It’s a two person job unless you have a very easy going cat. Mine wasn’t. :*&#!: She wasn’t happy but it worked for me. Good Luck in whatever you try. Oh, and wear long sleeves.
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I cut off a bite of hot
dog then cut a small slit and insert the pill. My dog is so excited about the hot dog that they swallow without thinking and down goes the pill.
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Our animals both cat & dogs have been terrible pill takers… even the ones that are supposed to taste like beef or liver… they are great at spitting them out or finding them hidden in their food and treats…
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We give my 11-year old dog Zoe pills coated in peanut butter. For some reason she likes it. Of course now whenever someone is eating peanut butter, she’s right thee to join, steal, or lick it off your face. I understand your pain and loved your story.
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Good luck Janelle. I once took care of a cat that needed medication every day with one of those pill shooters!
I was not successful with that particular cat but her owner was able to do it. I’d talk to the Vet right away. Two of the dogs I take care of need medication but they both take it without a problem. One dog gets his medication, pills, mashed up in butter & he just licks it right down out of a little bowl! The other dog gets a liquid through a syringe like device and he usually is okay as he gets more medication in the form of a treat after! 
I hope your cat is better soon.
Love the funny, I’ve seen it several times in emails! You just have to laugh.
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Oh yes, i know the pain of trying to give two cats at once pills. I kept them shut up in their room so I wouldn’t have to chase them, then grabbed the one who hated it the most first, held her jaws open and threw the pill down her throat, shut her mouth and rubbed her throat until she swallowed. I had pretty good success with that method. The other one, I’d grab next and he was easier, but the method was the same. After that bout with the pills, the female cat would run every time I got near her, she wasn’t going to take any more pills, no way.
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Call the vet and ask them if it comes in liquid form. After going thru the above with one of ours, I called and one of the other vets gave it to me that way.So much easier. Why they make my dogs thyroid medicine in beef flavored and not cats I don’t know- thyroxin should come in it now for both cats and dogs.
Does kitty have a sep water bowl from the dogs where she can drink without being “played with”? I finally did this for mine and it’s amazing what a change it’s made in their UTI’s.
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I’ve had several cats and there is no easy way of doing it. My baby had thyroid problems and she was taking pills for about 5 years; I had to crush it into one small spoonful of wet food and wait for her to eat it before giving more food. It was a matter of out waiting her: if she wanted more food she had to eat it.
I hope your baby gets better, we worry as we do for our kids.
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Try to wrap it in a little cheese then rub under her chin to make her swallow. Let us know how she is doing….sorry she’s not doing so good. Did you ever wonder why they can’t just give her a shot and forget tormenting them with the pill thing?
Donna
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I have 5 cats so I know how hard giving them medicine can be. When u give the cat a pill hold them in the crook of ur arm like a baby, open mouth, stick the pill in& then hold their mouth shut. Works everytime, u just might have to hold their mouth shut for a solid minute though before they’re forced to swallow.
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Apparently, eleven is a tricky age for cats. Our kitty began having seizures at random times, weeks apart. The last one looked like death-throws to our 16 year old, who was awakened in the middle of the night by the commotion in her room.
After weeks of trying to pin down a diagnosis the Vet finally got a conclusive blood study that revealed she is diabetic. Now I have to feed her twice a day and then inject her with insulin. Not nearly as easy as it sounds. Once she started to feel better she’s gotten much faster and . . . more determined to resist. Kind of like pill story only involving a syringe.
Crazy.
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I’ve been there. Asking for a liquid medication is no better. My cat would drool when he saw me coming…..right before he ran to hide. Putting it in food or treats was totally unsuccessful for me too.
I’d recommend wrapping the cat in a towel with just the head out if your cat has claws, not that they want to hurt you, the claws just come out as they’re desperately trying to get away. Have someone else hold the cat or get on the bed or floor and wrap your legs around the cat to hold it in place, use one hand to open the jaws (towards the back tends to work better than the front) and use the other hand to pop the pills far back in the throat. I then hold the neck up a little bit and stroke the throat. Sounds ridiculous, but this is what I’ve found works best with my younger, strong, male cats.
I had the nightmare of having to put eye OINTMENT, not drops, directly onto one cat’s eyes. He actually accepted that a lot faster than pills.
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My cat turned 11 this year too and is making up for the vet bills this year too. I did find out that you can request the medicine in liquid for sometimes but it still involves tackling them. I’ve found with pills if you push them from the side and keep them on their back as long as possible it helps. Usually a little easier too if I wrap her in a towel first so she can’t move quite as much. Its definitely an ordeal though!
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I had to take my cat’s, Harold, medicine to a pharmacist to make it into a topical cream to rub in his ears. It worked and it made my life easier than shoving pills with a pill popper syringe down his throat. Hope this helps.
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You have my sympathies…..our cat was just the same….it was impossible to get him to take a pill, he is 13 and diabetic now!!!!…a total lifesaver was when we had to make an emergency run to the kitty hospital, and they told us about
“Greenies brand Pill Pockets”, it is a miracle, you put the pill inside, put it on the floor and he gobbles down in a heartbeat.
They have a website, http://www.greenies.com or call 1-866-GREENIES.
Good Luck!!