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[CountAllVotes]

This message was self-deleted by its author (CountAllVotes) on Wed Oct 4, 2017, 06:57 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[still_one]

1. Best way to give him the pills is wrap it in wet food or a meat ball

If he has no appetite, than you just have to open his mouth with one hand, and flick the pill with the other hand.

If he won't drink, then try to use an eyedropper

[CountAllVotes]

4. That is what I've been doing

Grinding it up and adding it to his favorite brand of Fancy Feast. Sometimes he'll eat it, other times he haughtily walks away.

He is better, don't get my wrong but ... frankly I am afraid of him!

[still_one]

7. As he is starting to feel better, you shouldn't have any problem with him gulping

the pill down in wet food, because as he feels better his appetite will come back

Real important that you continue the antibiotic for its full course.

If you are concerned about him biting you, then wear gloves.

All the best, its no fun

[CountAllVotes]

9. I thought of the gloves

I was afraid that the gloves would frighten him.

He is huge in size but soft in heart! He is a big big baby!

I'd post a picture of him but he is basically a former feral cat turned house cat now and he is a silver tabby cat with tufts on his ears. He is a loving fellow and gentle usually.

Maybe now that he is feeling better he'll calm down a bit, very good point! Thank you for that! I hadn't considered it.

[shenmue]

2. Sending many hugs and kisses

[samnsara]

3. sure fire way of giving pills to dogs.....

have two YUMMY treats. The first one has the pill ..and AS SOON as its in his mouth....offer him the other HIGH VALUE treat. ( the meat balls mentioned in other post would work great). Dogs are greedy and he will immediately swallow whats in his mouth for the other treat. Works every single time with my golden retrievers.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I think the OP is talking about a cat.

Cats are harder to pill than anything except maybe alligators.

[CountAllVotes]

13. I was hoping she could have given him a shot

But no no no, couldn't do something simple like that now could we?

[samnsara]

6. if its a cat youre medicaiting, wrap him mummy style in a towel..pop the pill in...

..you may get bit but not scratched....

[CountAllVotes]

8. Silver has been watching me doctor my other cat Missy since Nov. 2016

I wrap a large bath sheet around her so the head is exposed only. I've been having to put eye drops in since I got her in November. He seems intrigued by this process but if I came after him with a towel, he'd run, I just know it!

He is so HUGE is the problem. I guess he caught a flu or something but his brother Andy is ok luckily. He has bitten me (Andy) and that is because he was going toxic on the god damned Cheristin for Cats. I was petting him on the back and he thought I was putting more of that crap on him is what I think, hence the bite. Biting is not a normal behavior for him and being he was going toxic and vomiting due to the Cheristin for Cats that I was told I HAD to use on him. He was not feeling so hot is what I think being he was on the same road Miss Julie had been on which led to her death! At least he did not die too!

I have an open case on him with Elanco as well as Silver and Julie's case is there too and no, they never did a thing to help with the bills on her that I had to take out a loan to pay!

God damn that Elanco w/their poisons:

Namely:

#1 TRIFEXIS for dogs
#2 Comfortis for dogs
#3 Comfortis for cats
#4 Cheristin for cats

The ingredient for the most part (sans Trifexis which contains a heart worm component that is made in China!) is spinosad and spinetoram. They are INSECTICIDES used on organic crops so YOU, yes YOU are eating this crap unknowingly!

The vet admitted to selling Trifexis for dogs. I gave her hell for doing it believe me!

[procon]

18. Use a different approach.

" if I came after him with a towel, he'd run, I just know it!" Yep, and I'd run too.

But try this, if you spread the blanket on the floor or the bed, and then place your cat on it, its much easier to get him wrapped. Just pull the shortest side of the blanket over him, then pull the longer opposite side over his back, under his belly and around his chin to hold the head still. Pull the blanket snug to hold his body like he's in a cocoon. Now that you have a nice kitty burrito that you can straddle between your thighs and he won't be able to move.

[procon]

14. that's what I do with my cats, too.

Wrap them up snug, lift up their upper jaw, drop in the pill, close their mouth and firmly downward stroke under their chin until they swallow. Unwrap them and immediately give them a favorite treat or two and plenty of hugs and rubs to remember the good parts. Get is done quickly and they're done before they get stressed.

To get a balky cat into a crate, stand it on the end so the opening is on top. Lift the kitty, using one hand to hold his back feet together and lower him into the crate, butt first. Once he's partly in you can release his back legs and push the rest of him inside at the same time you're closing the door. No fuss!

[Warpy]

10. I was the person fellow cat owners would call if their cats needed to be pilled

Over the years, I've gotten pretty good at it. My technique was to get on the floor, knees bent, legs underneath me. Wedge the cat with his backside facing me between my knees, grab his head with my left hand to steady it. Grab the pill between the thumb and index finger of my right hand, use my middle finger to pull the lower jaw down, toss the pill to the back of kitty's tongue, then let go fast. The cat would rocket under a bed and not come out until I'd left.

When HRH was alive, she was a peach, she'd just sit in my lap while I steadied her head and tossed the pills in. Since she took so many, I used Pill Pockets to disguise them a little bit.

My old ornery tomcat was all muscle. With him, I had to grind the pills and mix them with a little warm water (not hot), and suck them into a syringe. He'd had a few dental extractions so I just had to lift a lip and shoot the liquid toward the back of his tongue. He'd hold a grudge for the next six hours or so, but he was medicated, dammit.

There are gadgets like spring loaded pill syringes at Amazon, but I've never had to use them. They look like they'd work OK.

Cats are a lot easier than ornery people, if you want to know the truth. I'd rather pill an entire cattery than some of the nursing home patients I've had to deal with.

[CountAllVotes]

12. They gave me 2 syringes

I have yet to try this approach.

Thanks for all the info. and tips Warpy!

[Warpy]

15. Oh, and the Neurontin pricing

When they dispense just a couple of tablets, they tend to use hospital pricing at the vet's, you know, that infamous ten dollar Tylenol type of pricing. If he needed to be on it long term for some reason, you'd take the scrip to a regular pharmacy and it would be cheaper.

[CountAllVotes]

17. hmmm

Wish I'd known that!

They tried to hit me up for $40 for some "Composure" treats to calm him. They are sold at WALMART for $9.00 and change! That is 4X the price. I bought some and they had no effect that I could tell (so don't waste your money on this crap folks!). Greed rules eh?

[Warpy]

19. It does. My own vet charges these prices, but he also does cut rate TNR surgeries

so I rationalize the high prices by balancing them against the other stuff he does. He took stellar care of HRH, who made it to 21 with stable kidney function but probable cancer.

Always cruise pet store shelves and Amazon to find out what you can get cheap. If you need vet doses of drugs and can't get them at a regular pharmacy, I can recommend Pet Meds. They're quite reasonable.

The only other thing you can try is Feliway, available in a small tester quantity at Amazon. It's a pheromone cat calmer, doesn't work on all cats but is worth a try if you spray the cage with it before you need to wrestle him into it. It worked on HRH.

[CountAllVotes]

20. Yes, I use Feliway

I've use it on the furniture to prevent them from scratching it. It works fairly well!

They were spraying is all around the room at the vet trying to calm him down but ... no luck as the stress level was too high for Silver. Poor fellow.

When I got home w/him he made a point of rubbing his head against my leg as if to say "thank you".

Still, I was shocked on the gabapentin. Being it is now considered a schedule II drug, you'd never be able to buy it at 1-800-petmeds I rather think. Dumb move IMO as I don't see how anyone could really OD or get "high" on gabapentin (aka Neurontin)!!!













`

[japple]

21. Pill pockets worked well for us. The cat-sized ones were too large, so we just broke them in half

and molded them around the cat's meds. Then we gave him 1/4 can of Fancy Feast to eat to cleanse his palate. This regimen worked well for awhile, but then he started to get tired of the dosing and we gave him the pills in a ball of cream cheese, with a small dish of Fancy Feast afterwards. Keep trying new things and good luck to you. Your dear boy is very lucky to have a caring, committed caregiver like you.

[lunasun]

22. Sometimes it is easier to get them wrapped in low light just up from a cat nap

I am talking to the cat also while doing this so they are less alarmed thenwhen wrspped like a burrito, the pill followed by small syringe squirt of water with the other hand.
Small 1 syringe only 3 is too much . He could choke
That's if you can work in low light I know it's different with every pet....best to you and Silver

[ginnyinWI]

23. Well here's what I'd say to do next time--

There is an injection they can give now with a long-lasting antibiotic. Eliminates the need to give any pills at all.

I had them give it to my ginger boy recently for an abscess (his big sister must have swiped at him). I have never given him pills before, but judging by how he hates to have his claws clipped, I could see a terrible time with them.

So we did the injection for $33.00. Money well spent!

[sinkingfeeling]

24. I pill my cats by making a tiny cube of cooked chicken breast and cutting a slit.

I insert the pill in the slot and they will take it. I have also hidden them in tiny meatballs and once in cheese.

[CountAllVotes]

25. Update on my Silver Boy

Just an update on this situation.
Silver is much better now and I have not heard him cough for 3 days now. He seems to be feeling much better and is playing with Missy again.

As for the problem with the pills, with your help and ideas a solution was figured out.

#1: Pill was ground up and added to 1/4th of a can of Fancy Feast tuna and shrimp (his favorite food).
#2: On top, his favorite cat treats were sprinkled sparingly, just enough to make him eat the whole thing up hoping to find more of those treats mixed in with the food
#3: I still have another week to go with the pills but thank god Silver is now ok and likes the solution we figured out for him to take the antibiotic pills. Hopefully no more vet visits for him ever!

Thanks again friends! We've got a cure on our hands!

[democratisphere]

26. Vet bills are not cheap; $150.00 seems reasonable in the current market.

Pills could be ground up and mixed in with wet food as long as Silver eats all of his wet food. Use a mortar and pestle to grind up pills. Good luck and I hope Silver gets well soon.

[CountAllVotes]

34. right!

Compared to how much I have spent on kitty Missy (with NO DX and hundreds of $$$) I got off the hook easy with my Silver.

He is so much better now.

I am so glad I won't be losing my boy.

Thank you for the kind words.

My cats are about all I have in my life (other than my old husband) that I know truly love me.

[tblue37]

27. I have a friend, another cat person, come over each day to help when I must pill a cat.

I wrap the cat in a towel and hold her, and Lisa pills her.

However, that is not necessary when the meds are in liquid form, which CAN be done with many meds. I always ask if it is possible, and there is one pharmacy in town (just the one) that will prepare a liquid suspension of a veterinary prescription.

[tblue37]

28. BTW, my (neutered) male Tico is the same weight as your Silver! He puts my legs to

Last edited Sun Apr 2, 2017, 12:28 PM - Edit history (1)

sleep when he cuddles on my lap!

[CountAllVotes]

29. Silver is not a lap cat at all

He'll come and sit next to you though! He is a gentle cat really. He just freaked out when he had to go to the vet.

I was just breaking up the rest of his pills and out of nowhere came a flying Silver to "monitor" my activity with the pills. He knows those are HIS pills and that they are making him better!

I'm so glad my Silver boy is ok now! I'd be so sad if he was still sick!

Thanks again EVERYONE! Great batch of friends are to be found here no doubt!

[tblue37]

31. My Tico was a feral cat for his first 18 months or so. For months he would follow

me when I went on my walks, but never let me get close enough to pet him. Finally, on July 2 in 2014 I was able to capture him. He had been getting closer and meowing for attention for a couple of weeks, so I sat on my porch steps and cuddle-talked him into coming close enough for an ear scratch. then he came a bit closer, because it felt so good, and as soon as I could, I snatched him and ran him inside.

At first I didn't realize he was feral. I had noticed that he was well fed and neutered, so I assumed he had an owner, but one who just fed him but did not give him attention or keep him inside in evil weather, because he was ALWAYS outside, even in rain, snow, and super cold weather.

I had tried to coax him to bring him in the previous winter when it got very cold, but was not able to persuade him or get close enough to grab him. I had also asked around, trying to find out who owned him, intending to offer to take him off their hands, even though I already had three girl kitties. In fact, in addition to following me when I went out for my daily walk, Tico used to sit outside the window all the time and visit with my kitties, so I suspect he was lonely.

He is a half-Siamese black Oriental Shorthair. Siamese cats are very social and very people oriented. It is not surprising to me that his best buddy among my other cats, the one he plays with all the time, is my other half-Siamese Lucy, who though only half Siamese (her mom is a brown tabby) looks like a purebred lynx point Siamese.

One reason I made such a big deal of capturing him on that July 2 was that I knew a neighbor's cat had been frightened by fireworks a couple of years earlier and had run away, never to be found again. I wanted to make sure that this guy was safely indoors when fireworks started going off--which would probably start that night, since kids around here usually start doing that a couple of days early, even though it is illegal to shoot off fireworks within city limits here.

I spent the next few days canvassing the area, trying to find out who owned this big, gorgeous, friendly, and sweet-tempered kitty. Everyone said they had seen him around for a long time, but no one knew whom he belonged to. My intention was still to offer to adopt him, or, if the owners refused to give him up, at least to educate them about taking proper care of him.

A few days after capturing him, I called the Humane Society to see if anyone had reported such a cat missing. I described him, including the fact that, as I assumed back then, he must have been in a fight, because he had a small vertical slice in his left ear. I was aware of TNR programs and that they cut the tip off of one ear before releasing the neutered cats back into their home area, but I didn't realize that our city's TNR did a little slice instead of cutting off the tip.

The person I spoke to at the Humane Society told me that the young cat I had captured was a feral, because that little vertical ear slice is the way the local TNR program marks ferals they have neutered. It had not even occurred to me that he might be feral, both because he was neutered and because he was also friendly, sleek, healthy, and obviously well-fed. I didn’t know at the time that we even had a local TNR program. As for his being so well-fed, I figured out after discovering that he was feral that someone was probably putting food out for him, since people often do that for feral cats.

Anyway, as soon as I realized he didn’t have an owner, I adopted him, named him, got him his shots, and taught him to play (at first he was confused about what I was doing with those wands and strings. Now he is a play maniac.)

He was about 18 months or so when I adopted him, so he is just past 4 years now. After having been feral for his early life, he demands frantically to go outside, so I do let him have one or two hours outside each day—but only during daylight hours, and only when I am home to go out and check up on him while he is outside.

In the morning, he is absolutely frantic to go outside, and when I don’t let him out soon after I get up (for example, if the weather is nasty, or if I am going to work, so I don’t want him out until I get home), he finally gives up, rushes to the litter box, and pees really, really big in it. I assume he saves his urine up overnight to have plenty of urine to mark his territory with the next morning, and that is why he seems so frantic about going out first thing in the morning.

When he is outside he comes when I call for him. I don’t actually “call,” since I have trouble raising my voice loud enough to yell (something about my larynx). Instead, I clap for him, and he comes running.

He is one of the sweetest cats I have ever known. It is hard to believe he started out feral and remained feral for so long before being adopted.

Oh, and whoever was putting out food for him (and probably other feral cats in the area) is probably still doing so, because he needs to lose weight, but controlling his food intake doesn’t seem to work all that well, so I assume he must be getting extra food when he is outside marking his territory.

His name--Tico--is short for Gatico--i.e., Spanish for "kitten. He is a huge guy, but he still thinks he is a kitten--and I still think so, too!

[CountAllVotes]

32. Wow, that is some story!

I've had two cats that were Siamese, one was was appeared to be a full-blooded Flame Point and he was another BIG cat (same size as Silver!). He was not a real nice guy at times and he died at the age of 12 of kidney failure. He had that cut on his ear too -- they did that to him at the rescue I got him from so people would know he'd been neutered.

The other one I had was owned by this fool that did not care. He did not even feed her I don't think. I adopted her and she weighed 2.2 lbs. at the age of 10 months! My god! I doctored her up for a long time and she lived to be 18 years old! I really like Siamese cats and they are said to be the mos intelligent cat that there is! I believe it because they were both very very smart.

Thanks again for sharing! Good on you!!

[iamateacher]

30. We wrap our Maine Coon in a beach towel

And use the pill syringe. We tap her on the nose once we have inserted it, makes them swallow. Good luck!

[applegrove]

33. You put the cat cage standing up against a wall with the door at the top open. On the other side

of the wall you pick your cat up and hold him in an upright position where his head and front paws are higher than his back paws. Then you grap both sets of paws, one set in each hand, and keep him upright. Walk to the cat carrier/cage and put your hand with his back paws in them into the bottom of the open cat carrier. Once he is all the way in you let go of both sets of paws and quickly push his head in the cage and close it. The vets taught me that trick.

[CountAllVotes]

35. Silver & Andy picture

The two brothers they are!

Andy is on the left; Silver on the right.

I call this picture "Brotherly Luv" ... seems appropriate eh?