I could use a little kitty help.

[Curmudgeoness]

My new cat, 1-1/2 years old, needs to take some meds. I have always found a way to manage getting liquids and pills into cats, but this cat is a total nutcase. He goes insane when I try to hold him down. I am lucky that he only has claws on his back legs, or I would have double the puncture wounds and scratches. He will not be fooled by Pill Pockets. Agh.

This was very traumatic for both of us, and I am ready to give up. Does anyone have any suggestions? This is a ballistic cat when I try to medicate him. Ballistic! :nuke:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Well, there's this:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+20827+3159&pcatid=3159

Friend of mine has one of these, which she needed for a wiggly cat. She says it works.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. OK, that is an idea, and I will watch the video and read more

before I decide since it is a little expensive, but I have to wonder how the hell you get the cat in the bag. This cat is the sweetest guy, until 1) I try to get him in the carrier or 2) I try to medicate him. I am hoping that the video gives me an idea of how you get the cat in.

Thanks for the recommendation, and it might even be worth it. I have six wounds from one try, and he thrashed his head so bad that I lost half the fluid from the syringe being popped out of my hands so many times. This sucks.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Here's how you get the cat in the bag:

http://www.klaw-kontrol.com/loadingtips.html

[Curmudgeoness]

13. What a good kitty in those pictures! Anyone want to take pics of me

attempting to do this with my cat? (Remember the word "ballistic".) We could do a video that would have the world laughing at us.

But this may be possible---I think I would practice on a stuffed animal first until I had the bag all figured out. The positive conditioning tips are a great idea too. You don't do anything to the cat the first times you use the bag, except maybe give lots of kisses and loving. Great tips! And if other suggestions don't work out, I would try this. It will not be possible for this round of meds, since I would not have the bag before this is over with.

[Lisa0825]

2. At Whiskerville when we have a tough case, we make a "purrito."

We grab the kitty with a bath towel and wrap it up snugly, and then use a piller.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. Love it, a purrito!!! How cute! I have thought of this myself,

and wonder if I can do it alone. I have a feeling that he will fight me on this, but I suppose a fight with a towel will not be as bad as a fight with the meds. I hate having to do this to him. He is absolutely wonderful in every other way, except going in the carrier and getting meds. Then, it is like I am dealing with a feral cat.

I will try this since it seems easy enough. It is worth a try and I appreciate the suggestion.

[Lisa0825]

6. To be perfectly honest, I am HORRIBLE at giving pills by myself.

I have tried and tried... none of my cats at home will cooperate. I know the director thins I am a wuss, but the few times I have needed to give meds, I grab them, put them in the carrier, and take them to her house so she can help me! LOL! She says I am not aggressive enough with scruffing, and that it is harder to hurt them than I think it is. Thankfully I have not needed to do this much with my kitties.

But yes, the idea with the purrito is that the towel will give you some protection from the claws.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. Hmmm, I suppose that I am not aggresive enough either.

But then again, who wants to alienate their fur baby! I already lose the loving cat personality for hours after the meds are given, so I don't want it to be a nightmare for him.

I did try this method with a modification this morning, and I did get the meds into the cat. I was in a hurry, so I got the cat and put it on the bed, then wrapped the comforter around him. He got out four times before the meds were in him, but I did win in the end....and more importantly, I came out of it unscathed. I will try to perfect the towel later when I have time to consider just how to go about it. I have the feeling that it will work only once (as the comforter probably has), and then as soon as he sees a towel, he will disappear. Sigh.

[rox63]

9. I've used the towel method, and it worked

But first I get the kitteh into a room where there's nowhere to run to, like the bathroom. Otherwise, she'll get under furniture and dig her claws into the carpet.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Here's another (cheaper) method I've heard of:

Get some old nylons, cut off the panty part and one of the legs. Then take that leg and cut off the foot part so you have a nylon tube. Stuff the cat in the tube so his arms are pinned to his sides and his head is sticking out one end. Now you can give the cat his medicine without being clawed into hamburger. I can't vouch for this because I've never tried it, but it was described to me and I'm told it can work.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. OMG, you have me rolling on the floor laughing.

Did someone seriously think that a cat can be easily maneuvered into a panty hose leg? This person who told you this did not have cats, did they? "Stuff the cat in the tube" does sound like a good idea, if it was feasible. The problem is, you can give the cat the meds now, but you are already clawed to hamburger. At least I have no doubt this would be the case with this kitty.

Nevertheless, thanks so much for the chuckles. I needed it!

:rofl:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

19. I thought it was kind of improbable, too,

but they swore it worked. Maybe they had a small, fairly docile cat. I considered it once, looked at the pantyhose leg, concluded my fat beast wouldn't fit in it even if he let me do it. But, hey, maybe it's worth a try.

[Curmudgeoness]

20. I have thought a lot more about this, and, maybe, just maybe,

it could work. Picture this: You roll the panty hose up like when you put them on and get it to the size of a large rubber band. Then you stretch it and get it on the neck like a collar. Then...pull like crazy to unfurl it down the body. Possible. This still sounds insane, but I might just try it one of these days. I will report back if I do.

[Mz Pip]

8. Grind up the pill

and put it in tunafish. THat has worked for me. Another thing that worked when my crazy cat needed meds was to wrap pieces of thepill, dependingbon how big it was into pieces of steak. Usually the cat would scarf it down before she realized there was a pill in it.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. This is definitely worth a try.

I will have to see what this new kitty really likes to eat, and I have not tried tuna. Danged cat!

Since I have always had cats that I could control in some fashion before, I just don't have all these tricks figured out. So thanks.

[badgerpup]

14. A new phrase come into being on CATURDAY...

...is "Apology Tuna".

It's what you give your furbaby to sweeten their temper and make the apology seem more sincere, since roses certainly aren't going to do the trick...:silly:

You guys make me feel so lucky...
even the new little one has no problem with her Amoxicillin...she likes it :wow:...and the boys take their meds without fuss. :wow: :wow:

[rox63]

15. Apology Tuna

I love it! :rofl:

[Curmudgeoness]

18. I love it. You are right and right...

Right about roses not working for the kitteh. But TUNA!!!!! Apology tuna----that is what I will have to do this evening if he snubs me.

Right about you being lucky. I have had 4 prior cats, and I have never been in this situation before. I can count myself lucky up until now, so watch it on the next furbaby.

[FloriTexan]

16. Greenies makes Pill Pockets for Cats...

They worked like a charm on my kitties. Saved my fingers too!

[Curmudgeoness]

17. Yes, I have used them in the past with great success,

but as I stated, he is not fooled by them (or he is not interested in them). This is the first cat I have had that I have had serious problems with. No one was ever happy, but no one tried to kill me before.

[yellerpup]

21. When our big, scrappy boy came home from the vet

last week, he had to have antibiotics every day. We found that the best time (if you are feeding on a full stomach) is after they've eaten and are deep into a long nap. We slip up behind him, open his jaw and toss one into the back of his throat. He's medicated before he wakes up all the way.