If you are like me and must medicate a Kitty daily, heres a few things Ive discovered which may make the job easier & less stressful for Edmund & me: USE A PROPER RUBBER TIPPED PILL POPPER. (get one at the vet) I smear the end of Edmunds pill popper in Vegemite or Cheesymite to coat the rubber. He loves these things. After popping his pill, he cant decide if it tasted bad because his tongue has Vegemite on it. You can substitute anything your Kitty enjoys, i.e. cream cheese, peanut butter etc. If you dont use a pill popper, you could coat your finger instead. Dont use too much Vegemite, as the pill may get stuck on the popper (this has happened to me). Just use enough to coat the outside of the rubber tip, NOT the end. Its a fact cats foam and dribble when something distasteful hits their tongue. Its a reaction they cant help. The Vegemite coating prevents Edmund foaming as his pills taste YUK. BE DECISIVE AND FIRM. If Kitty suspects you are hesitant, he will feel stressed and resist even more strongly. DO IT ALONE. Using another person is hard to coordinate and only stresses Kitty more. TIMING. If evening is Kittys pill period, vary the time, from late arvo to late evening. This reduces the likelihood that Kitty will suspect the pill is coming. KEEP IT SECRET. Edmund knows the sound of the Vegemite jar lid coming off and the pill cutter opening, and will go hide in. I take these items into another room to prepare, or disguise it with the microwave running as Im cooking dinner. TECHNIQUE. Wash & dry your hands. Prepare the popper before getting Kitty. Put Kitty on the kitchen counter and firmly encourage him to sit. Push his bottom down if necessary. Counters are slippery and harder for Kitty to get traction. Tuck him in against your body, with your forearm angled along his spine to stop him backing up. Wrap your left hand firmly around the back of his head. Using your right forefinger, pry his mouth open (if hes meowing, this isnt difficult), pushing your left thumb & forefinger tips in either side of his mouth to keep it open. Pop the pill deep into his throat. I hold the popper while doing all of this because Ive done it for years. You may need to lay the popper down, then quickly pick it up when Kittys mouth is open. Be careful not to touch the plunger while getting Kitty ready as you will lose the pill before it gets near your cat. Its okay if you touch the back of his throat with the rubber tip. He wont choke. Remove the popper as soon as possible. If you dont get the pill in properly, or he spits it out, try again straight away. Dont let him go because you feel bad, then have to catch him later and put him through the process again. Ive had as many as 3 attempts in a row, as Edmund turns his head at the last moment and the pill goes in his cheek instead of down his throat. Use reassuring words, voice and touch, but be firm, too. If he knows you are rattled, he may become more difficult. Cats need constant reassurance. PRAISE HIM & PET HIM AFTERWARD. When the pill has gone down, I let Edmund lick the rest of the Vegemite from the popper as a treat, so he forgets hes just had a pill. I rub his head and tell him hes been a good boy, sometimes giving him a Greenie or other treat, especially if weve had a couple of attempts at getting the pill down. Hope this helps anyone faced with the task of stressing their Fur Baby every day.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 06:24:38 +0000
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