My cat is on diet

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Well, my dear tomcat felix is suffering. Not only that we don't serve food in quantities sufficient to feed his hunger, worse, the little bit we serve him is strange smelling stuff he doesn't like to eat at all.

Hanging around in the garden all day, spreading terror among mice, birds and neighbor tomcats, he somehow managed to become the host for a tribe of worms. So we went to the vet to get a cure for him. We need to crush a pill and mix it in his food. He won't eat it, I even can't persuade him (which is very uncharacteristic, considering his childish enthusiasm for food in general and getting fed in particular)

Not that he is in danger, actually a little diet will do him good (he is a proud, splendid, rather tall and well fed tomcat ), but he's begging and mourning constantly

Any ideas how I could end his suffering? How can I outfox his instincts and make him eat his cure?

[This message has been edited by Ragusa (edited September 25, 2001).]

 

Could you put it in his water? Or perhaps put it in his favourite food? I guess the reason he won't eat it is because the pill tastes very strong and unpleasant, so you'll need to find some way of disguising the taste.

 

Forget it!
Reading your description i thought you are talking 'bout my Lucifer.
Those mulish beasts would almost starve before they eat their food mixed with crushed worm tabs.
The only (exhausting) way that worked for me was to take the cat and force him to open his mouth by pressing his cheeks and throw him a quater of the tab direct in the throat.
Then you have to press his jaws together for a while, otherwise he will choke it up again.

A little practice and you will survive this procedure without scars.

 

I've just found this helpful guide, entitled "How To Give Your Cat A Pill".

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding front and rear paws lightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat's head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foilwrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for glueing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Ring the fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour ½ pint of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive to you to emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes remnants from right eye. Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for vet to make a house-call.

 

LOL - sounds very familiar.

 

just dont feed him anymore....

 

Cats are the best!

 

Aww.. Poor Felix. He's *never* gonna eat that pill. I'm afraid Bogi's correct, Ragusa. Force is the only way to go. Shove that pill as far back as you can, then hold his mouth closed, his head up, and massage his throat until he swallows. It's the easiest fastest way.

Just be sure after to give him a bit of a special treat so he forgets the nastiness and remembers the *tuna* Good luck!

 

Who are stupid enough to produce pills that taste like shit? Someone should conquor the market. Slogan: "we have pills your cat actually likes" geeeez product-makers are dumb

 

Following a smart tip from ArteChoke I mixed Felix' next pill with premium tuna (I had tears in my eyes, it was supposed to be for my next pizza ) and, oh surprise, he ate it fanatically. Beast, the next time he will wait until I serve salmon I bet ...

 

And why do they make these pills always green or yellow or another colour that scares the cat? I like Nobleman's idea and if we make the pills look like cat food, then the cats wouldn't even know what hit them.

 

I thought we knew that cats were colorblind...oh wait just like everything we *thought* we knew

Anyway, glad it's working out now Ragusa (sorry about the pizza though, what the heck?? Tuna on pizza??). Back at home we have three cats and seven dogs so I know all about the joys of having pets.

 

uhm isnt it only dogs that are generally considered colorblind Big B?

 

I dunno but it's a doggy-dog world out there. And cats only get nine lives!

 

um i always mix it with tuna juice and tuna... something cats love....

Do you only use his own normal cat food or have you tried a varity of foods?

Forcing can be dangerous.. although depends on the cat... mine is impossible and would shred my skin to bits!

 

I tried Kitiara's method once as one of the cats we have LOVES tuna. He was on the window sill at one end, i put the bowl of tuna with added crushed pill beside him and left the room for a few moments. I came back to the tuna bowl still where i put it (including about 99.99% of the contents) and Macbeth, who is also affectionately called Fat Cat because he is a huge cat but not actually fat really, just a wind up name. Anyway, he was at the other end of the window sill, curled up, almost looking like he was cringing given a very very frightened/annoyed/just plain traumatised MRRRAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!! constantly, as if to say "you bastard, you poisoned the food of the cat Gods!". For a while after that he was always suspicious of tuna.
Well, thats my first spam ever, hope it amused you, and heed the warning, the cat will not trust you if you poison the food of the cat Gods with evil pills that cats hate to have to take.

 

When our cat has worms, my mum just takes the cat, forces the pill into his mouth and holds his mouth shut until the pill is gone. Violent but effective.

 

After the tuna trick worked so well yesterday evening I tought my problems were ended. No way

This morning we gave him the ordinary canned food he usually is so fond of. The food I mixed with crushed pills first. He won't even try it, since this morning he's running around, mourning in an attempt to make me feel guilty.

I will repeat the tuna trick this evening and I bet it will work, but now I have to think about alternative regular food for him there, however is no way that he'll get tuna for the rest of his life

In the meanwhile Felix is giving me accusing views, will go on crying miserably and continue to let the birds and mice feels his silly mood: Yesterdy he killed 3 mice/ 1 bird, today he killed 1 mouse already.

[This message has been edited by Ragusa (edited September 26, 2001).]

 

Don't be despaired, you can alternate the tuna with shrimps and salmon.

I once fed my cat with expired shrimps - it took 3 days of heartbreaking mourning
till he liked his normal food again.


[This message has been edited by BogiTheWaverer (edited September 26, 2001).]

 

Our kitten was always very smart with pills. He would sit very nicely and calmly in our arms while one of us popped the pill into his mouth. Then he'd hop down, tail straight up into the air, and strut down the hallway. Then we started finding his pills on the floor! He'd spit them out when we weren't looking :b We did try every possible means (most of those metioned above) to get him to eat the pill with food -- no dice. He either ignored the food altogether, or ate around it. Eventually, we gave in, and always asked our vet for a liquid version That was like a dream in comparison. And of course, we always gave him a treat and lots of attention after the medicine.

If you have no choice and have to use pills, you'll probably have to wrap him up in a towel, blanket or housecoat (gently) and, using slight pressure on either side of his jaw, open his mouth, pop in the pill and hold him until it's gone. When popping in the pill, place it as far back as you can (without actually cramming it down his little throat). That way, they can't (or have a hard time at leaast) spitting it back up. And don't let them fool you!

Our other kitten just played on our guilt. Whether it was for medicine, or trimming his claws, he would cry and cry, like you were really hurting the little guy. Very traumatic! Of course, immediately afterwards, he'd crawl into our arms for a hug, purring away (they were both little sweethearts).