Best way to give a cat a pill?

[Arvon]

Here's something I found on the net:

Sorry I couldn't resist!!!!

Instructions for Giving Your Cat a Pill

1. 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.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. 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 fore-finger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call friend.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get friend to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down remove ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get friend 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.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to friend's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. 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.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. 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.

13. Tie cats front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, hold cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet of steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get friend 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.

15. Arrange for SPCA to collect cat. Ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

[ 05-22-2003, 06:19 PM: Message edited by: Arvon ]

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Aelia Jusa: Tuppence needs her worm pill. I tried the meat-flavoured chewies but she wouldn't eat them (also tried them mixed up with her other food but that made her leave her food ). Now resorting to the little pill you have to shove down her throat. I have traumatic memories of the last time I tried! Anyone have any good tips on how to give her her pill and avoid losing blood?

Crush the pill. Dilute it in bath water. Give kitty a bath. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Arvon: Here's something I found on the net: Instructions for Giving Your Cat a Pill 1. 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. 2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. 3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. 4. 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 fore-finger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. 5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call friend. 6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get friend to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down remove ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously. 7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later. 8. Wrap cat in large towel and get friend 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. 9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to friend's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap. 10. 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. 11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom. 12. 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. 13. Tie cats front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, hold cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet of steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down. 14. Get friend 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. 15. Arrange for SPCA to collect cat. Ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

OMG...that is the FUNNIEST thing I've read in a long time, Arvon. I still have tears running down my face. That was hysterical. [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

The best method I have found is to GET SOMEDODY ELSE to do it. Alright, just kidding. I can tell you from personal experience that Chewbacca's method really is the best and most effective. I was going to add the suggestion of wrapping the cat in a towel, but Spelca already beat me to it.

You might try petting the cat first to get it relaxed, then doing the head-tilt technique. The cat won't scratch as much as you might think...especially if you get a good grip on the scruff of their neck while you're doing it.

Good luck.

[Stormymystic]

we ad to do tis with a dog for her entire life, get a small syringe, crush the pill up and find some kitty milk, they have it at pet store, put syronge full of milk in to small bowl with crushed pill stir then draw it into syringe, wrapcat in a baby swadle, place kitty in center of a blanket or towel, take one side of towel and wrap around kitty, tucking it under its back take bottom of towel tuck into the top of the towel, then take other side and wrap snugly, making sure cats head is just sticking out of top of towelforextra coverage, get one more towel and wrap around again, then hold kitty snuggly in crook of arm, putting syringe at corner of mouth, and inserting into cheek, press slowly untl ketty swallows, then repeat til the *pill* is gone

[Ladyzekke]

It's always the best and easiest if you can find a way to put the pill in some kind of food. But of course that doesn't always work, some cats just KNOW the pill is in the food LOL. I've only had to give a cat a pill one time, about 12 years ago when we had a cat that had gotten Feline Leukemia by a scratch from another cat, the pills were vitamins. It wasn't easy either LOL. Usually I'd sit on my knees on the floor, put the cat, facing away from me, in the crook of my legs, and pet it a lot, and get my finger into the side of his mouth, right where the jaw opens, and just push the pill down the side of his throat as fast as I could. Doing it fast is the best cause if you struggle and linger, of course the cat catches on and fights back.

[Atrayu]

Cat's are very different and this thread really hits some great methods of the end objective. Watch out for the sharp teeth thow!

[Gangrell]

I wouldn't worry about it. She probably won't swallow it if you try and sneak it to her, just do what I do and just give it straight. My dog sucks down medicine like you wouldn't believe [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 05-22-2003, 08:38 PM: Message edited by: Gangrell ]

[Aelia Jusa]

LOL Arvon, I've read that before but it's very funny [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] . That sounds exactly like the pre-chewies pill I gave Tuppy .

She's so contrary! She liked the chewies the last couple of times! [img]graemlins/idontagreeatall.gif[/img]

The towel sounds like a good idea! And the relaxing bit... actually when I wrote this thread this morning she was sleeping on my lap, and I was thinking, gee how hard could it be to give this little angel a pill?! But she goes from angel to terror very fast

ROFL Timber [img]tongue.gif[/img] . Although she does drink from silly places - the sink of washing up water for one. But actually I think you're not supposed to give Russian Blues a bath because they have a double coat (especially now it's winter) and it would take too long to dry. I know that's the case with double coated dogs anyway.

Dogs are a bit different to cats, Gangrell! Our dog has her pills no worries either; cats are a little more ferocious Plus dogs' claws aren't so sharp!

[ 05-23-2003, 12:47 AM: Message edited by: Aelia Jusa ]

[LennonCook]

What we do is basically what Spelca suggested - wrap the cat up in a towel with only their head poking out. This makes it harder for them to scratch you.
Hold the cat while someone else opens their mouth, and quickly shoves the pill down. Wait for the cat to swallow the pill, then put it on the floor, and unwrap the towel to such a point that the cat can run away (which they will). Search around the floor afterwards to make sure the pill wasn't spat out.

If that fails, you should be able to get de-wormers in something like a siringe... do what I said above, and get the other person to put the device gently into the cat's mouth, and squirt it. To let the cat run, you can also simply release the towel, and let them jump. With this method, though, the time you will get scratched is when you are releasing them... and since the cat is in the process of running away, it can *hurt*.