How to give my cat a tablet?

[Katherine]

ela - hillarious!
Isnt having cats fun

[Katherine]

Ask your vet to do it!
Securing your cat between your knees (whilst kneeling) and quicly opening their jaw with your fingers on each side and pressing sometimes works, there will be alot of noise and scratching though. You have to hold their mouth shut and stroke their chin. Chances are they will bubble it out the side of their mouth though cats arent daft.

[Nikkisun]

I use one of the medicine syringes that you get for babies to take medicine and fill it with water, lay the kittie on his back on my lap, open his mouth and pop tablet in and squirt a tiny bit of water in his mouth (to the side NOT down his throat) his immediate reaction is to swallow the water and hey presto the tablet goes down with it!

[chrisleitz]

I have to give Buddie 3 tabs of Glucosamine per day for the next 6 weeks.  So far I have crushed them finely and mixed them in with cream cheese.  Buds just licks it off my finger.  He adores cream cheese (at the moment) but I think I'll try butter as well for a change.  He may get bored otherwise

I've tried the Katalax on the leg method on Pepper but she just ignored it and I found the stuff everywhere on the carpet, cushions, her bed.  She is quite good with taking pills though as anything in front of her is regarded as a treat and she just hoovers it up.

Samsom, well he is a two person job.  His dad is quite good at opening  Sam's mouth and popping the pill, whilst I hold him.

I guess you will have to try the various methods and am sure you'l find the one that works best for Charlie and you.

[Ela]

Although that is a good idea for some tablets others need to be taken whole.

[Wendy Q]

Only thing that works for me is to crush tablet in butter, open the cats mouth and put the butter on the tongue. The butter sticks in their mouth and they have no option but to swallow it.  One of the previous replies with idea of smearing the butter on the cats legs sounds like a good option if you can't open your cats mouth.  Good luck!

[LeighK]

Hi ela,

I prefer the wait until the cat yawns and aim blowpipe method which has frequently worked well for me, in fact I'm now more accurate that an Amazonian rain forest pygmy.?

Warning : Do not try this at home ! [/size]

Regards

Leigh

[Andrew]

Thanks a lot Tiggys Mum! That was very helpful....

Ela, that made me laugh and for one minute, I believed it!  :D

[Ela]

Instructions for giving a 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 forefinger hold mouth shut for a count of 10.
5.   Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6.   Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees. Hold front and rear paws firmly. Ignore low
growl emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cats throat vigorously.
7.   Retrieve cat from curtain rail. Get another pill from foil wrap. Make notes 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 spouse to stretch out flat on top of 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 is not harmful to humans. Drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply
Band-Aid to spouses forearm and remove blood from carpet .with cold water and soap.
10.   Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door on to 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 door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12.   Ring Fire Brigade to retrieve cat from tree across road. Apologise to neighbour 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 cf dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth
followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash
pill down.
14.   Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches finger and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Stop by the furniture store on way home to order new table.
15.   Arrange for local rescue a new home for cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters
NB Cats Protection does not necessarily advocate the methods described above.

[Tiggy's Mum]

As promised here is the link...

http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/pill_or_capsule/2.htm

It's way past my bedtime so I'm off to bed now!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Andrew

I've got a link for a really good video that shows step by step how to do the deed!  Am working a night shift tonight and the link is on my home PC so will post in the morning when I get home.

Tiggy has 5 tablets a day and although she is very gentle I am a complete wuss and can't give tablets the 'proper way', I have several cunning methods to get her to take the tablets, worked out she has had over 2000 and have only had to resort to 'reasonable force' twice!!


1) Primula Cheese in a tube (Chs, Chs & Ham, Chs & Prawn but NOT chs & chive).  Place tablet on finger, squirt a blob of Primula on, Tiggy licks it off, tablet and all.
2) Wafer thin ham (Bernard Matthews is best as is nice and moist and sticks to itself when folded over).  Wrap tablet in small parcel and hand feed, the tablet may fall out the first time so I roll up in another piece and keep going.  Wafer thin Beef or Chicken is also effective.
3) Defurrum treats, they are designed for hairballs.  When snapped in half there is a gooey mix which holds the tablet perfectly when you poke it in.  Tiggy loves these and hoovers them up.
4) Cheddar Cheese, experiment with varieties but the moister the better. Shave of a thinnish layer and squish around the tablet.
5) Chicken breast, don't overcook, needs to be nice and moist.  Shave a thinnish layer and again squish around tablet.
6) Tuna, squeeze most of the juiceout and squish around tablet.
7) For powdered meds: Beef sandwich paste (check ingredients NO onion or garlic) mix with a little hot water to make a yummy beefy paste.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Wicked woman

[Roz]

Gill .... You could always try the first bit...ha ha?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Roz I tried the last bit with Katalax and Ducha and the monster wouldnt groom his leg for days! In the end I had to get it off him.........OK birmans are a bit clever

[Andrew]

I think Charlie hates it when I put paste on his leg or paws....

He might be as dumb as dogs to just lick the butter off....

[Andrew]

Wow Roz,

Thanks for the details... I wonder if I can practice on Baxter? I guess not...

I never understood why to put the tablet in the fridge, now I do :-)

Do I need to take the pill out of the foil?

[Roz]

Hi Andrew,

You could try but I wouldn't risk the whole tablet. ?Cats are notoriously good at detecting anything in their food...and if you put the whole tablet in, then you have wasted it..and they are precious aren't they?

If you can, I would always keep them in the fridge so that the smell is diminished. That said, the best way is to try to administer the tablet by hand. ? I know how hard that can be. ?If you have someone to help you, you ?should place Charlie on a non slip surface and stand immediately behind him, placing your hands firmly round his front legs to prevent him from moving. He will not be able to propel himself backwards because you are standing there. ?Your assistant should then carefully tilt Charlie's head upwards and, placing her left hand over Charlie's face so that her thumb and index finger are positioned either side of his mouth, she should very gently squeeze the corners of his mouth so that his lower jaw begins to open. ?Once this happens, the tablet should be placed as far back in the mouth as possible. ?Your assistant may have to open the lower jaw wider by pressing down on it with a spare ?finger should Charlie's mouth not be open enough to administer the tablet. The jaw should then be closed and held shut for a moment until he swallows. ?

If you do not have an assistant, you should take Charlie and wrap him up in a towel so that he is firmly held while you attempt to open his mouth in the way described above by yourself....which can be very difficult.

My personal favourite method is as follows:

Take the tablet from the fridge. ?Crush it up and mix with some butter. Scrape mixture onto knife and return to fridge for a few moments. ?Go and find Charlie. ?Take the knife from the fridge, transfer mixture onto one of your fingers and rub it onto Charlie's front legs. ?Make sure it is well rubbed into the leg...otherwise it will just be flicked off. ?In time Charlie's grooming instinct will get the better of him and he will lick it all off.? ?? ? Don't let him out into the garden so that it can become dirty and contaminated. ?Similarly, try not to let him run all over your best soft furnishings.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes,

Roz ? ? ?

[Andrew]

Thank Angie and FF!

I think I need to be more like a cat now... aka more intelligent.. I used to put it in my dog's mouth without any problem...

[Angiew]

try it in a bit of raw mince or tuna or cheese and he might take it without noticing. 3 bits, first bit treat, then the payload and then a treat.

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Andrew when you say tablet pockets are these they the ones from VetUK ... sort of treats with a space for the pill?  If so have you tried giving him a treat without the pill then when he's had that give him one with the pill in.

[candyshandy]

Kneel on floor

Get kitty in between your legs facing away from you

With one hand gently prise open kitty mouth and then very quickly throw the tablet in

Close mouth and tickle their tonsils

Works for me but my lot are softies 

[Andrew]

I bought some tablet pocket to give Charlie antibiotics. He had his morning dose with the pocket but he didn't touch his evening dose.

It's a tablet without coating. I wonder if he would eat it if I crush it in his food?

thanks in advance