Giving tablet to a cat - getting desperate!!!

Mrs_Z

Calling all experienced cat owners for ideas...

We have an elderly cat who’s on two tablets a day for her hyperthyroidism. She’s been on that medication for about 2 years and until now, all has been well. The cat has now decided that she no longer wants to eat the tablet in any shape or form and I’ve run out of tricks how to get it down her throat!

Until now, we’ve been able to hide the medication in a tasty morsel of raw tuna, but she now chews the piece and spits out the tablet. Cream cheese has also worked wonders but now she turns her nose up on it, same on clotted cream. I’ve ordered Greenies pill pockets from USA, and she does not like them. Crushing and mixing the tablet on her food does not help either, she will take one sniff at the plate and walk away.

I tried ‘popping’ the pill in her mouth manually, which worked on Tuesday morning due to an element of complete surprise. On the following day she struggled, hissed, scratched, miaowed like crazy and I managed to get the tablet in her mouth – only to find it on the living room floor soon after. And to be honest, I don’t want to go through this method twice a day – I find it just as stressing (!) and it would destroy her trust in me.

I’m at loss what to do next. I just thought I post on the forum in case there’s a food stuff or another trick that I could try and I haven’t think of.

I’ve tried researching if the medication (Felimazole) is available in another form but it doesn’t look like it. It seems that in the US, transdermal gel which is applied to cats ear (inside) is available but not in the UK.

The cat will be around 16ish this autumn and I don’t really want to put her through an operation to remove the thyroid glands. Otherwise she’s very bright and well in herself, but how long will that be? This week she’s taken 2 out of 7 tablets due.

krlyr

You can buy little gadgets to pop the pill right at the back of the throat. Wrapping her in a blanket or towel will stop her being able to scratch you, if you swaddle her paws up.
Did you offer non-laced morsels alongside the tablet-laced ones? I recently was giving my dog a calmative supplement which must taste and smell unappealing as after a few days she got smart to me hiding it in food. I just had to offer food in the same format (mince rolled into a ball) without the tablet in, I threw it at her so she caught it and swallowed it and then after 2-4 plain mince balls, I threw the laced one and she didn't notice the difference until it was too late. Keep varying the amount of plain ones you offer before sneaking the laced one in so they don't learn to expect it. A cat might be a bit more difficult but it might trick her into it, at least the first few times perhaps.
Have you spoken to the vet to explain the issue? They may have some alternative suggestions.

antw23uk

Tesco cheap and cheerful pate was a favourite for a friend who had a cat on tablets.

Sandhy

I'll be checking for answers on this thread as I'm about to embark on this for one of mine and I know that giving him tablets will be a nightmare!
They wise up to all the tricks you can think of!

rising_from_the_ashes

krlyr wrote: »

You can buy little gadgets to pop the pill right at the back of the throat. Wrapping her in a blanket or towel will stop her being able to scratch you, if you swaddle her paws up.

Totally agree but, although OK for short periods of medication, it's unfortunately not advisable for longer term - mainly as Mrs Z says, the cat ends up hating you and soon gets wise to this too.:(

Mrs Z have you tried crushing the tablets and mixing with her food?

My old cat was on medication for 8 years and I ran into similar problems as you have after a while - he wouldn't come near me as he thought I was going to shove something down his throat everytime I tried to get close - and tbh it was awful ..... we did have to change his medication a couple of times, but eventually found one that he would eat crushed in a wee bit of his wet food (he would get the rest once that was eaten) and had many more happy years together. HTH

krlyr

I know it's not ideal but when you're limited in what medication you can give, and not giving the medication isn't an option, there's going to either have to be some element of forcing the situation or making a serious decision about the longterm choices - tough situation for OP I know.

murphydog999

A feed a friend of mine's cats occasionally and she has to have a thyroid tablet. She will take it enclosed in pate (Hilife Delipate is the favourite - 3 different flavours) off a spoon. Whether she thinks it's a treat because it's on the spoon, rather than the bowl, I don't know, but it works.

scaredy_cat

be firm when you handle the cat, perhaps see if your vet will help you by showing the best way of holding her?

krlyr

Oh, one thing you could try is asking the flavour/pH of the tablets. I had pet rats and one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for them is one called Baytril. It has a very bitter taste (accidentally tasted it once so can vouch for that!), due to being quite alkaline. People found rats more willing to take food laced with it when they used certain foods - e.g. yoghurt seemed to take/disguise the bitterness of it. Vets used to recommend mixing it with a bit of Ribena so that the sweetness would counteract the bitter taste too. Your vet might have an idea of different foods to try specific to the taste of that particular tablet.

Edit: I googled and found an old MSE thread about the same kind of problem, may be worth a read (try the last couple of pages especially)
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/610107

picklepick

When I have to give my cat a tablet, I crush it, mix it with pate and wipe it on my cats nose and paws. They've got no choice but to lick it off then.
You'd have to watch that they didn't spit it out again but mine tend to be so busy cleaning, they forget that they dont like the taste.

Februarycat

I use a pill crusher for my cat and then sprinkle it on her food and mix it in well and then put a few dry biscuits on top, she does not seem to notice and eats the food