Any tips for "pilling" a combtive cat?

[begin_within]

I know the standard technique, force mouth open, drop in pill, massage neck. I did that for 4 years with my last cat who had a heart condition. But my current cat apparently has a bladder infection, and a liquid antibiotic (Clavamox) failed to eliminate it. So I'm getting a stronger one but it's in pill form only. Not looking forward to this because he's extremely resistant to taking anything or being controlled in any way. He fights back like a wild animal in a life-and-death struggle. Any suggestions?

[kedrys]

1. Wrap cat in towel with paws carefully tucked in

Having a second body to hold cat in towel helps as well.

[Taverner]

21. I SECOND THIS

The towel will protect you

[Captain Hilts]

2. Smash pill. Hide in food. Repeat. nt

[kedrys]

3. Smash pill. Hide in tasty Pill Pocket. Stand back.

Then repeat.

[begin_within]

6. Thanks... you know I've tried that

with another cat I had and she just sniffed at the food and walked away.

[DeepBlueC]

23. you can not touch the outside of the pocket with the hand that touched the pill

It's a two-handed job to keep the medicine scent off the outside of the pocket. Eventually they figure things out but I got a few days out of it much to my surprise.

[old mark]

4. No suggestions, but I sincerely wish you good luck - I still bear the scars

from taking our cat to the vet.

mark

[begin_within]

7. I have another vet that makes house calls, and last year she came to the house

to give him his booster shots, because we were leaving on a 5 day vacation and the boarding place required that his shots be up-to-date. It took both me and the vet holding him and when it was finally over, both of us were bleeding. The cat gave the most insane howling sound I've ever heard from him, like he was in mortal combat and was losing. But as soon as it was over, he acted normal.

[Sanity Claws]

5. SORRY

I was going to suggest having it put in liquid form but I see that you can't. It's a tough situation.
Stupid as it may sound, talk to the cat. Tell him you don't want to do it but it's to make him feel well. I remember when my cat was struggling while I was trying to give him a pill, I yelled at him that I don't like doing this either. He seemed to understand and stopped struggling, although he would still turn his head away from me. Can't hurt -- might help.

[begin_within]

9. Thanks, I'll try that. One thing that helps is

to wait until they are just waking up from a nap, and they are still sleepy, and then they can't react quickly enough, and sometimes the deed is done before they fully realize and fully react to it.

[kedrys]

48. Imhotep understood perfectly what was going on

We had to pill him daily his last year, and he put up a lot less of a fight once we told him what it was for. We still wrapped him in a towel, though - those mighty mighty paws... :scared: :D

[hippywife]

8. I give my cat a quarter

of a baby aspirin twice a day. All I do is hide it in a ball of her soft food and put it on the floor in front of her before giving her the rest of her food. Since she only gets a third of a tiny can of soft food once in the morning and once in the evening (she has to share with her little sisters whom she despises) she scarfs it right up without even realizing there is anything else in it.

No fuss, no muss.

[begin_within]

10. Thanks, I'll try it.

[hippywife]

12. Depending on the size of the pill

you may want to break it into smaller pieces to make it more undetectable and give it to her/him in a series food balls.

Good luck.

[DS1]

11. google pill-gun

[DeepBlueC]

24. they are tougher on a cat's mouth

you can really injure a combative cat by sticking implements in there.

[HopeHoops]

13. Duct tape

[Pharlo]

14. There have been a couple of times I had to resort to

crushing the pill up into a fine powder, dissolving it in a bit of water, sucking it up into a syringe and shooting it down the cats throat...

[begin_within]

17. The doctor gave me 2 plastic syringes and said I could crush the pill,

mix it with some syrup and give it to him as a liquid. I may have to do that because I just now tried to give him the first pill and he fought back viciously as soon as he realized what I was trying to do. The information sheet that came with the pills says "do not crush tablets as medicine has a very bitter taste," but this may be the only way I'll get it into him.

[grasswire]

15. Pill Pocket!

Made by Greenies. No resistance. No sweat. About six bucks for a thirty-day supply.

[DeepBlueC]

25. the Greenies ones are good

[frogmarch]

16. My son crushes the pills and

mixes the powder with a dab of cream cheese. He never has trouble giving pills to any of his three cats when he does it this way.

Is it possible to give pills to cats rectally, or would it be a case of Don't Tutch the Butt?

[begin_within]

18. Now that's a good idea... I think my cat will go for the cream cheese. Thanks!

[Patiod]

50. Ugh - my cat will only LICK cream cheese - not eat it

So every Saturday morning as I have my bagel and read the internets, she's up on my lap crying for cream cheese, and then slowly LICKS it off my finger, rather than scarfing it down (like she'd do with fish or steak)

[Blue Diadem]

19. What worked with mine

I'd place him on the floor between my knees(I was already kneeling) I'd be petting him and being all lovey and would lower my rear just enough so he couldn't stand up and bolt. That left both hands for opening his mouth and popping in the pill as far as it would go. He, for whatever reason, seemed more content to have his feet on the floor(picture loaf kitty) rather than on my lap or sitting down or being cradled. If I attempted any other way, he was an automatic wild cat. Even the vet was surprised it worked so well. He at one time was going to sedate him so he could clean his ears when he got ear mites. I was able to do it myself using the kneeling on the floor method.

[begin_within]

20. Thanks, I'll try that too.

[DeepBlueC]

22. here's my vets suggestion

Cat's head is up when you dump the pill in but IMMEDIATELY after that cup your hand over the cat's mouth and nose and you bring his head down. As soon as his head is down you can let go...don't want to suffocate the baby She says it triggers a swallow reflex. That business about massaging throat she says does NOT work.

Towel and all will help you get to that point. I feel sorry for you. Pilling cats is...stressful.

[DeepBlueC]

26. I also like the between the knees position working from the back

[begin_within]

27. Thanks. Also massaging their neck to help the pill go down.

So far no luck but I'll keep trying.

[DeepBlueC]

32. no no no

Massaging the neck does NOT work...my vet was very specific about that. In fact it may be counter-productive if it is done with the head up. That was huge news to me. I just found that out this past year and she has been my home vet for more than 20 years. So you were keeping it a secret? 'Preciate that. In the mouth with head up and then immediately put the head down with your hand covering the nostrils. No massaging needed.

Try Greenies pill pockets too. But follow the instructions. I just put the whole pill in there but I was careful to use one hand to put the pill in and the OTHER one to squeeze the edges shut. if you use the pill hand to squeeze shut the edges the cat will smell the pill on the outside of the pocket.

Good luck. I have never found a miracle technique. Even if something does work the cat figures it out and finds a way to resist before you get a course of medication down. Liquid meds are a godsend but even those the cat has me squirting all over the room or his head, the little bastard. The darling little bastard, that is.

:hug:

[begin_within]

33. Thanks for the advice. But also note that

my cat ate the pill voluntarily! So weird. He ate it like it was a piece of cat food.

[petronius]

28. I have an absolutely foolproof 100% perfect method:

"Honey, I'm going to work! By the way, the cat needs his pill. Love you!"

;)

Seriously - wrap cat securely in blanket. Kneel over/behind cat, keeping it upright and facing forward between your knees. Grasp cat's head from above and lift head up and back. With other hand, hold pill between thumb and forefinger and pry open jaw with middle finger. Insert pill, and push it to back of tongue (don't throw it in). Watch to make sure cat swallows. Good luck!

[begin_within]

29. UPDATE (and you won't believe it)

I sat down with the cat and started my second attempt to give him the pill. I was just petting him first, with the pill in my other hand near his mouth. He started sniffing excitedly, at the pill. I held it closer to him and he started licking the pill. So I just dropped the pill onto my pant leg, and the cat got up and ate it. He just ate it as if it was a piece of cat food. The pill is Baytril, an antibiotic, and it's a light brown color. I opened the bottle and smelled the rest and they don't really smell like cat food, they kind of smell like multivitamins. But apparently whatever they put into it my cat really likes. What a trip. I thought I was going to have a titanic struggle with him once a day for the next two weeks. But it turns out he eats the pill voluntarily and enthusiastically. Maybe all cat medicines should be made this way. Anyway, thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I'm saving the thread for future reference.

[DeepBlueC]

38. Holy Shit!

I hadn't seen that update. Nor have I EVER heard of anything like that. Are the skies falling????

[begin_within]

42. Well, it remains to be seen if

he'll do the same tomorrow. Maybe he'll sniff it and walk away. But the way he acted tonight it was like I was giving him some great delicacy.

[Madrone]

30. Fuck pills.

Get injectables. Seriously. My cat Othello (RIP 6/2/08) had to take antibiotics frequently toward his end ... and he became more and more combative about doing so. The vet gave me pre-loaded syringes and it was SO much easier. Grab the scruff, stick the needle, press the plunger, done deal. Way less stressful for both of us.

[begin_within]

31. thanks... but see my post #29 above

[Madrone]

34. Yeah....the ONE time I don't read a thread all the way through before replying....

:blush:

[begin_within]

35. No worries - I'm glad to have all the useful information in this thread for future reference.

[begin_within]

36. Kohl wishes to thank everyone who contributed to this thread:

Thanks all DU cat lovers! I love you too! I ate the damn pill! Ha ha ha! My human is so silly. OK bye.

[Critters2]

40. Hey, Kohl! Tell your human to get Pill Pockets. They taste so good,

and smell so good, that my human has to give one to everyone every time I take a pill. I'm taking anti-biotics right now, but I don't even taste the pill. All I taste is the Pill Pocket.

Peace and Meow,

Shamu

[begin_within]

41. Kohl sez:

Gotcha. Thanks Shamu!

[LisaL]

37. Read this.

http://www.jokefile.co.uk/numerical_order/1132.html

[Sheets of Easter]

39. The only thing that worked without harm to anyone was crushing the pills up in food.

My cat was none the wiser.

[SwissTony]

43. An oldie but a goodie

Giving Pills to Pets

How to give a cat a pill

1. Pick up cat 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 spouse in from garden.
6. 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.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, 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.
8. 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 the straw.
9. 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.
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 jab. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. 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 two pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and remove pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

How to give a dog a pill

1. Wrap it in bacon.

[begin_within]

44. Awesome. I might just try to get a video of Kohl eating his pill.

[kath]

47. Awww, shucks, ya beat me to it! Best cat advice EVER!

:rofl:

[Lil Missy]

45. I'd make the vet do it. My "snarly butt" would get too hysterical.

[KT2000]

46. Hold the cat in your lap

or sit next to him, embracing him. He already knows what is up and will have his mouth clenched shut.
On the side of his mouth, force your finger with the pill by pushing in between the side back teeth. You will be able to open the back teeth from the side just enough to get the pill in his mouth. Then let him clench all that he wants and massage his neck if you can.
This worked on my most difficult cat. It is a great method if you are using liquid and dropper too.
They are caught off guard.

[ChickMagic]

49. Where are you?

If you're in the DFW area I'd be happy to come by and pill your cat. I'm really good at it, but it's hard to explain. Much easier to show you. Maybe I can get hubby to film me pilling my combative cat and you can get some pointers from that.

[begin_within]

51. San Diego, but thanks for the offer.