Our sweet darlings, Mabel and Samantha, had their annual checkups this week. The vet comes to our house, we don’t dare try to manuever Mabel. Unfortunately, we have learned Mabel has cat tapeworms, no doubt due to her affection for mice, rabbits, grouse, and moles. Therefore, there will be no pictures of our sweet darlings this week. I have three pills that Mabel must take, but this is a conundrum. Mabel resists and I dare not become the rabbit. Therefore, this instructional chart must do.
I may die in the next week, or be seriously scratched, but we will get through this. Bear with us.
We have no children. I can do this better than I could do diapers. My sympathies to all you real parents.
I've been giving my cat a pill every night for a couple of years. I find that it works best if I get her when she's asleep and from behind. I tilt her head way back, make her open her mouth by getting in between the teeth in the back and drop it in. If I get it in the middle reasonably she swallows it. No scratches.
Good luck.
Posted by: Cindy on April 8, 2006 1:23 AMAw. No way you can crush the pills in strong-flavored food, then?
Posted by: Martha Bridegam on April 8, 2006 2:59 AMMy vet says "make a kitty burrito!" (forgive me, I live in Virginia). This means that you quickly wrap kitty in a towel so as to neutralize some of her power while you shove the pill down kitty's little throat. And don't forget to rub the throat afterward because they can be sneaky about swallowing.
"If cats could talk, they would lie to you".
Posted by: Bendra on April 8, 2006 6:03 AMMartha,
Your idea is the best. However, I must give her 1 1/2 tablets at once. The only food that might work would be heart of rabbit. (alright chicken gizzards or livers might work too, but heart of rabbit is her favorite).
If she doesn't eat the whole 1 1/2 tablet at once, it's no good. They're BIG pills for a fairly small (14lb) cat. If they don't eat it all, you have to start over.
Anyone have any suggestions for where I can find heart of rabbit? My feet aren't that fast.
Posted by: Buck on April 8, 2006 6:19 AM
Bendra, I think there are cats than can talk and they do lie to you. They are all Republicans. Aloof, lying, self-centered and they have hair balls.
Posted by: spiiderweb on April 8, 2006 8:35 AMSorry.
Posted by: spiiderweb on April 8, 2006 8:37 AMThanks for the towel tip. It worked. I'm safe until the three week repeat.
The rabbit Buck Batard lives!
When I had to give a pill to Maxwell, a small macho cat, I sat on the floor, got him to lie on his back, pinned his legs down with my legs, dropped the pill down his throat when he complained, stuck my finger in his mouth to make sure the pill wasn't lodged in his cheek or under his tongue, and then massaged his throat for a very long time to make sure he was swallowing.
Mission accomplished! Well, not quite. About an hour later, I heard a ping. It turned out to be the pill bouncing off the oven door.
And Spiidey, Republicans are dogs. They run in packs following their alpha dogs and are mostly interested in shit and crotches.
Posted by: Joyful Alternative on April 8, 2006 9:20 AMIs this medicine available in injectable form? When faced with the same dilemma for my many cats (I live on a farm) the vet tried to get me to give pills. Turned out there was something injectable. Trust me -- it's far, far easier to give a sub-Q injection than to try to pry open the strong jaws of a dozen cats.
Posted by: Lucy of the HOFJ&TS on April 8, 2006 9:56 AMYes, it's in injectable form, but the vet didn't have it with him on the house call. Vets still make housecalls. Try that with your doctor! We need to bitch at the AMA. We need more doctors in this country!
Posted by: Buck on April 8, 2006 10:31 AM