My cat had to have metacam solution a month or two ago (a sort of glaucous liquid), and I never thought I'd get that into her - then I had the idea of dripping it on to two or three Thrive fish treats which absorbed the liquid - she loved it.

It depends on the type of tablet, but elderly cat has also been hyperthyroid (he had successful surgery last year), and I was allowed to crush his tablets. Some tablets are what they call "enteric coated", most aren't.

Now that's an idea I wouldn't have thought of! Might have a go with that. Either that or fried fish balls (kosher ones) - they taste horrible to me, but they certainly are fishy!

If anyone's ever read Isaac Asimov's robot novels, it's a question of balancing the circuits - making sure the "I love that food and I want to eat it" circuit overcomes the "I hate pills" circuit!!

I quite agree with you, but I've spent 2 years trying to make Rosie take her thyoid tablets, and had long talks to the vet about it.

She's a very temperamental Tortie, and we've decided I just get as much of her thyroid pill down her as I can, by whatever method.

Have you got any other suggestions ?

Our vet gave us a device that looked a little bit like a syringe but wasn't, it had a little C-shaped clip that you loaded the tablet into and then a plunger that you pressed that "pinged" the tablet out. The idea was to do the usual fingers in the corner of the mouth thing to open their mouth, pop the loaded pinger into said mouth and for want of a better word, catapult the tablet right to the back of the throat which caused an instant swallow reflex.

We never had to use it because hiding it in cheese or tuna did the trick but the vet said they had great success with the pinger thingy.

Yes I've tried one of those , Rosie went berserk and naerly bit the end off !

You do know that vets spend 4 and a half years learning how to pill a cat...that leaves them 6 months left at vet school for a quick romp through 'all the other stuff'.

Charliesugar.

Following advice on here, Rosie's taking her pills with Philadelphia cheese at the moment !

Yes - there are thyroid tablets which you CAN crush. They have to be adminsitered twice a day. They are called neomercazole, it's what they used to use before the new improved non-crushable tablets. (The reason you aren't supposed to crush the once-daily ones is because they are slow-release.) My tortie was on neomerc last year.

She could also have surgery (although maybe your cat has other problems which make this unfeasible). My cat had the op last July, very quick and easy, no more tablets, no more blood tests.

I agree about surgery, the results were brilliant. From being a thin, very ill looking puss last year, elderly cat is now completely back to normal and when he's not having to take antibiotics, he doesn't need any more meds. He had the op when he was 16 and recovered very quickly with no side effects. Wasn't cheap, though, and he wasn't insured!

I have to give my Darcey a Fortekor tablet for her renal condition and usually my son holds her while I struggle to get the tab in her mouth which seems to go into tremedous contorsions to get out of the way, but fortunately having had to pill her late sister for 9 months I'm kind of ready for any antics that Darcey trys though it is usually a struggle if I have to do myself, I just open her mouth shove the tablet down her throat, close said mouth hold it shut and tickle throat. Her sister was a nightmare and it was like having a bout of all in wrestling lol bless her, she would rush away if she thought it was tablet time.

But like everyone else we plodd on for the health of your pet.


piper

Elderly cat gets Fortekor as well, and you can definitely crush that up in food - the vet tells me that cats quite like the taste! There are actually only a few veterinary tablets that absolutely have to be given whole, most can be crushed up, although it's always wise to check.

I'm still using the butter trick, and the stuff is definitely getting inside the cat, judging by the state of the litter tray in the morning! So I can recommend it as an easy way to get drugs into a cat without upsetting either party, but the cat has to be able and willing to groom, obviously.

Susie

I tried all the usual disguises for the tablets, if I crushed it up and put it in the food the food wouldn't get eaten their willpower was longer than mine, It's really fortunate the girls don't hold grudges and now that it's just Darcey after she has her tablet she sits on the arm of the couch and has a bit of a moan at me but that's it , she's fine and I know she's got all of the tablet.

piper

I remember your cat had the op.
Our cat isn't insured either, the op was £250 so not too bad, probably less expensive than meds/vet visits/blood tests over a couple of years. And so much less aggravation

Hope the rancid butter smell isn't too bad

I think I might go back and ask the vets if she can have neomercazole Lippicote.

She was 17 when she developed an over active thyroid, and the vets were reluctant to operate.

6 months later, she developed CRF (we only discoved that after she had a minor stroke ) and now they say if they operated the anaesthetic might push her into full renal failure.

It's a no win situation

Bet you've got a few scratches because know how stroppy cats can get.

Aw, not a good idea to operate but sounds like you're doing a good job for her curmy, you're getting her tablets into her okay - and she must be 18 now, she has reached a good age despite her ailments My cat was only 13 when she developed hyperthyroid, and she was otherwise in good health so fortunately the op was a good option for her.

I have never been brave enough to try to open my cats mouth and pop a pill in, but thankfully my 10 year old daughter has no such worries and gets it down first time every time with the stroking under the cats chin method (after having prized open its mouth!)

A future vet I wonder

Just to say that eldest cat went to the vet's today and has made a great recovery, so no more nasty pills, thank goodness! I'm very proud of him, he's a tough old boot for a 17-year-old.

I've tried some of the suggestions on this thread, including taramosalata, but buttered paws were still the best solution for me (vet thought it was hilarious, but quite ingenious!). Hope the thread has been helpful to others, and thanks to all who contributed.

Glad eldest cat;s ok Susie, yes the thread's been very helpful .

Wembley cat can I borrow your daughter please