giving a cat a pill (revised)

[cellio]

1. Order medicine in capsule form specifically so you can open the capsules and mix the powder into attractive food.

2. Observe that cat is totally uninterested in attractive food.

3. Place cat on counter (at convenient height), get cat into a hold (looping pinky through collar as an anchor), gently press jaws open, and attempt to insert pill.

4. Retrieve pill from counter.

5. Repeat 3 more forcefully. Insert pill and quickly press jaws shut.

6. Retrieve pill from space between cat's gum and lip and try again.

7. After several variations on this theme, get pill solidly into cat's mouth. Hold jaws shut while massaging throat to get cat to swallow.

8. Observe cat swallow. Remove hand from mouth and retrieve soggy pill (with small puncture, leaking powder) from counter a few nannoseconds later.

9. Repeat 7, waiting a really long time and observing multiple swallows.

10. Remove hand and observe half of pill in cat's mouth. Replace hand in an attempt to get the cat to swallow some of the powder.

11. After cat wriggles free, clean up spilled powder from counter and hope enough got into cat to do some good.

That was this morning and tonight he ate some food (with the next dose in it), so that's a good sign. The apparent fever he had this morning seems to be gone, which might be related. (I don't think the antibiotic would have done that all on its own, so that's just lucky timing, I expect.)

Comments

Pilling the Cat.

[anniemal.livejournal.com]

Used to be, cats just disappeared when they got old and sick, and that was the expected norm. No longer so. Not here and now. We went through an incredible number of tests trying to figure out what the devil was wrong with Roo. And the best the vet could come up with was steroids. It bought him another couple years. He fought me, but let S_C pill him. I had to be invisible during that time each night. I was the one who took him to the vet's. He was ornery as hell, but not stupid beyond that.

I think each cat has to be approached as the unique creature it is, even when forcing a nasty-tasting thing down its throat for its own good. Hiding pills in tasty things has never fooled one of my cats. They explore their food cautiously, possibly because getting extra tasty food is likely a trick. They are sure. And don't trim their claws right before pilling. Administer catnip after nails. And be tough, but not brutal. They'll meet you there. Sort of.

Re: Pilling the Cat.

[cellio]

If Erik were having an obviously-lower quality of life, that might be different. The current state seems to be that he's got some chronic problems ending in "-itis" that can be managed but not cured, so he's getting periodic courses of antibiotics. We're trying to work out the correct timing on that, and I think this time it was too long between doses by a dew days. If I'd started the drugs a little earlier he might not have gotten the apparent fever and loss of appetite that led me to be forcing a pill into him instead of just lacing his food.

Dealing with Roo and Death in General

[anniemal.livejournal.com]

Ahh. We never had an -itis for Roo. He was just not right. He lost weight and wasn't as vigourous as usual. I ended up feeding him wet food because it was all he would eat. Not even tuna interested him towards the end. I cooked chicken to yield him broth.

This was all made tricky at the start because when I moved in with S_C, and brought a *gasp* dog and another cat into the mix, Roo decided not to use a litter box anymore. After we rehabbed (cat piss) and sold the condo, I bought him a cat house with a glass brick foundation (Thank you Jessie) and a secretary's heating mat under it in cold weather. Under wide eaves. We let him be ornery about litter boxes outdoors. Some will condemn us for that.

I took him in for regular checkups, since being outside was a liability. But what was wrong with him wasn't apparent, and we couldn't afford a colonoscopy. He didn't die within the time he would've if it had been colon cancer. We saved $1250.

Sometimes critters just get old. I went through it with Hamish, too. And yet I have another poodle. (Hamish kept me from suicide, so I figure it's a good idea.)

You will know when Erik no longer wants to live. They have very definite ways of telling you. And you shift into hospice mode. It's not fun, but it's part of the deal you make with your companion aminals. You give them a death on their terms.

My Grandma is teaching me Ukrainian. She's 92. Blind and close to deaf. Has always been notional and sharp, simultaneously. My Good Aunt is taking care of her. Except for species, end of life care is not so different. We take care of our forebearers as we take care of our companion aminals. Decently. No?

So I have 2 cats. Erica is 13, and Mel was astray in early 1996. Jamie the poodle is 5.4. I have your scenes to look forward to with these cats. But it's part of the deal. Except I didn't ask for Erica. But she is in my domain and she can hate me all she likes, I will care for her.

I hope Erik remains on an even keel, and comfortable and content for as long as possible. And that his end of this time will be comfortable.

It's not easy waking up on your bathroom floor with a dead cat in your arms, or holding your dog's paw while he dies from an overdose of phenobarbitol. It comes with the territory, and you don't have to "get over it". Or aren't supposed to. I don't know. Maybe just learn.

Re: Dealing with Roo and Death in General

[cellio]

Yes, this is an obligation we sign up for when we decide to get companion animals. I owe Erik the effort to deal with problems when we can and to make him comfortable when we can't. He's only 13 and he's an extremely sweet kitty; I think he's planning to be around for a while yet.

L'chaim

[anniemal.livejournal.com]

I wish you pleasure in one another's company as long as possible. A sweet cat is a joy.

My friend called Erica "Psycho Kitty". Mel is short for "Mellow". He's always been a soggy boggy baggy shaggy. Jamie is the sweet one, so I've been told. Even if he is kind of a dog. So is Mel.