This plus that equals…. giving cats tablets
Here’s the latest instalment in my series of posts all about what makes our lives here at home tick. This week is an amusing little insight into my life at the moment, wrestling a daily tablet into a cat.
Suddenly they hate all their favourite treats
James loves food. Loves it. I started using the meaty pill coating the vets gave us. It worked a charm for 4 days, then he decided he hated it.
So what about a little bit of pate. I got 1 day out of that. Then he hated it.
Milk is his favourite as he is never allowed it. But crush a tablet into it and he magically knows.
Next time he brings me a mouse I’m tempted to pop a tablet in there to see if the sudden treat hatred will work on that and he’ll stop bringing them in!
You will get scratched
So because I clearly can’t hide a tablet in his food and he obviously won’t take them voluntarily I have to force them in.
I hate this.
I feel like the worst person in the world prizing with little mouth open then clamping it shut.
He obviously agrees if my arms are anything to go by. Before everyone shouts, just wrap him in a towel. Cats are wigglier than post bath babies. I can maybe keep 3 paws at bay but there’s always one waiting to inflict damage.
They don’t make tablets easy to administer
James’ tablets are large. Large and crumbly.
Why?!
Why do they not think about the design of these things. Maybe pop them in a nice little easy swallow capsule, preferably pilchard flavoured.
Why not make them like a cat version of Calpol? If we essentially give our kids strawberry flavoured syrup to get a bit of medicine in them van they not make a cat equivalent. At the very least a liquid medicine would be easier to deal with.
Children are not helpful
L is very worried about James. He wants his best friend to get better and take his medicine.
Strangely enough hom bursting into the room and slamming all the doors shut is not helpful. Though in his head it is helpful as it means James cannot escape.
The offers to hold his paw are cute but again not helpful.
Generally the noise, movement and energy that comes hand in hand with a three year old is not conducive to giving a cat a tablet.
Even if you think it’s gone, it’s probably not
I keep finding bits of tablet.
When they are hidden in food he manages to pick them out. Even crushed he’s to clever for his own good.
James also seems to have developed the ability to hide them in his mouth and spit them out later. This is very frustrating.
We’ll keep persevering though. Any tips gratefully received!
Finally, I’m linking up with #TwinklyTuesday, #Blogstravaganza, #StayClassyMama and #fortheloveofBLOG
How does anyone expect a cat to swallow a tablet?!?! I’m a bit clueless when it comes to animals but it seems common sense that it just won’t work!!!! Thank you for sharing with #StayClassyMama
It does not work. Not at all. Back to the vets tomorrow and begging for injections instead
This sounds like a nightmare, and sounds harder than giving calpol to a 3 month old. I have no advice for you, other than I hope that your cat gets better soon. Thanks so much for linking up at #fortheloveofBLOG. Claire x
So much harder! £7 on fancy prawns today and still no joy on the tablet front. Very yummy dinner for me though. Bleeding creature.
The cat version of Calpol! I think you’re on to something there… could make you a fortune! I had the same issue with my rabbit. Well, it was liquid medicine, but I could not for the life of me get it in her mouth. All over her face, yes. Anywhere remotely helpful, no. Kale worked for a bit, but I think they see through our clever trickery! #blogstravaganza
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They do see straight through our trickery. I just need to learn some science stuff then I’ll be ready to make my fortune
Oh my goodness…how do they know? I had the exact same thing with my old cat – she just would not take them. In the end, when it was clear that they weren’t actually curing her but just delaying the inevitable, I just stopped giving them because I figured I’d rather not have to force these down her and make what was her last few weeks with us miserable! Nightmare when they are actually doing some good though! I hope James gets better soon.Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
When you get to that stage the fight to get them in is doing more harm than the tablets are doing good I think. I’ve bought James some very expensive prawns to hide them on now, we’ll see if that works today. He’s eating better than me at the moment!
Getting pets to take their meds is an absolute nightmare isn’t it?! Thanks so much for sharing with #Blogstravaganza xx
If I were clever enough I would design tablets that were irresistible to pets I would be rich!
I laughed at the suggestion of putting one in a mouse. Can you get ones that go up the bum? With Gloves of course. #StayClassyMama
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You know what, as much as that repulses me I actually think it would be easier and will ask when I see the vet next week. Glad I made you laugh xx
I’ve never had to give my cats tablets, but I agree they are the wriggliest! So much wrigglier than a baby or even a tantruming toddler!
So much wrigglier!!!
I’d rather take mine to the vet for a jab than try wrestle a tablet in them. It’s harder than putting tights on a wriggly 18 month old child!
I wish I could! I offered to pay more for some sort of injection, but no no no, half a tablet every single day for a whole month. I’m living in cat wrestling hell. Definitely harder than putting tights onto a child. To be fair when I was pregnant with L I practised putting babygrows onto the cat (poor beast) I figured if I could dress him I could dress a baby