Giving Tablets To A Cat

[indie_chick5]

Our cat needs to have tablets twice every day for a heart condition. He's not ill, but it keeps symptoms at bay and prevents it worsening. We tried hiding it in his food, (they're not big tablets) in chunks of meat etc but he knows what's going on and won't touch it. So we've been having to shove them in his mouth which is not fun for us but more importantly, not fun for him. Any bright ideas on giving a cat tablets without them knowing, or at least, a bit more subtle?

Please spare me any lectures on cruelty, he's a very happy cat who gets a lot of attention, we love him lots and would never do anything to harm him or if he was in pain we would not make him live through it.

Thank you

[keithlbw]

Try this indie...
http://www.mamarocks.com/how_to_give_your_cat_a_pill.htm

[nannybooby]

The best way to give any pet a tablet i to hand feed them a treat each day from day one ,you can then slipthe treat in and they dont realise. ,as its a bit last for this now suggest a bit of chicken that you have chewed up and hide the tablet inside a ball of the stuff. Other good way to try cover pill in marmite (just a bit and hide in a ball of chicken paste. Keep offerring the hand treat it will work eventually ....I promise.Good luck rememmber Mummy won pussy didnt!

[keithlbw]

Serious way.....
http://www.wikihow.com/Give-a-Cat-a-Pill

[indie_chick5]

Ha ha that's hilarious, and rather true. Thanks Nanny, I'll try some of those suggestions.

[maggiebee]

Brilliant keithlbw. I knew I had seen this before but wouldn't have known where to look.

Indie, I always wrapped my cat in a towel and held him firmly while my OH opened his mouth and popped the tablet in. Could you crush the tablet first before maybe mixing it into something stronger smelling like fish?

[daffy654]

Wrap the cat tightly in a blanket or towel ensuring all limbs are secure, hold the cat's head back (or get someone else to do that), prise the cat's mouth open, drop in tablet, hold cats mouth closed while gently rubbing the cat's throat, let cat go and be prepared to get filthy looks for the next hour from a cat who is plotting your death.

[indie_chick5]

Some great suggestions there, thanks Keith

[nannybooby]

kethlbw ,so true so funny.

[indie_chick5]

Thanks everyone. It seems our technique of putting it in his mouth is ok, but I will try some of the other ideas such as crushing it (I'll check with the vet) and hiding it in babyfood or cream cheese xx

[IggyB]

I wouldn't advise crushing it up as it casues problems regarding the dosage - if you give your cat a pill and he spits it out you at least know you need to start all over again. However if you crush the pill up and hide it in something which the cat then eats half of (before realising there is something going on) you are then in the situation of not being able to give the cat another pill without overdosing him so have to settle of the reduced dose he has taken until next time.

I always find popping the pill in a small knob of butter, popping that in the cats mouth then hold his head up (extending the neck) and stroke down his neck to encourage the pill to go down works well.... it helps that my cat really likes butter (think its the salt).

[2sp_]

One thing we did with our dog was to give her a treat and hold another one in your hand so she could see it.

After feeding her the first, we would just give her the tablet whilst wafting the second treat in front of her. She would be so focused on getting the next treat that she didn't notice that we had just fed her a tablet. We would then give her the second treat.

Might not work on a cat, they seem to be a bit more savvy!

[Graham-W]

daffy654:
"Wrap the cat tightly in a blanket or towel ensuring all limbs are secure, hold the cat's head back (or get someone else to do that), prise the cat's mouth open, drop in tablet, hold cats mouth closed while gently rubbing the cat's throat, let cat go."
Graham-W:
Allow the cat to lick once and then collect soggy tablet from floor ready for another attempt.
LOL

[Purple_Popple]

Smear tablet in butter...pop in mouth, hold cats mouth shut and tilt cats head back and.stroke throat...should slip down nicely.

[indie_chick5]

I like the sound of the butter idea, he loves clotted cream too, if I 'accidentally' drop a blob on the floor :)

[maggie01]

I don't know about cats but my dog is on heart meds twice a day. I just moisten them slightly under the tap and put them in her mouth. She just chews them and the vet said they do not taste very nice and was surprised she takes them so easily.

[Old_Geezer]

Why not just ask the vet for suppositories instead ?

[friedgreentomato]

I had a cat that could hide a tablet in her mouth for 2 hours afterwards - we tried everything even squirting water in her mouth!!

In the end it was cream cheese - she loved it so much that we just crushed her tablet up in a teaspoon of cream cheese.

She licked it all up no problem - just use the low fat variety - or if he likes yoghurt put it in that.

Good luck

[ladyalex]

Our cat loved fromage frais and he also had to have twice daily heart medication.
We used to crush up his pill (we had already had to split it as his dose was half the size of the smallest tablet the vet could dispense).
We then mixed it into a teaspoonful of fromage frais and he licked it off the spoon.
Simple, once we figured it out and gave our guests a good laugh when they watched us dosing him.
Good luck.

[boxtops]

I'd use the towel method if I had to... We were fortunate that Rover's kidney pills were palatable, he used to ask for them and eat them out of our hand. You could ask the vet if there is a palatable version?