Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

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sunnyme_123
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Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by sunnyme_123 »

I have two cats, both 11 years old, and both were semi feral when I adopted them at 6 months old, so they are not quite wired the same way as 'normal' cats.

They are both on antibiotics at the moment, in tablet form. I can't just get hold of them and pop the tablets down their throats as that would just traumatise them big time, so I have been trying to hide them in tasty treats, things that will form around the tablet and hide it, which has worked up till now, but they are either getting wise to it, or just going off whatever I have given them!
So far, I have hidden tablets in:
corned beef
chicken liver pate
mackerel pate
sandwich paste
mussels (didn't work at all!)

If you have any other suggestions that I haven't thought of I would be soooo grateful!! Their absolute favourite treat is chicken, but that just won't hide the tablet without it falling out.

Thanks in advance!
booktigger
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by booktigger »

Could the vet not give an antibiotic injection? The best I've found is Primula cheese, it's sticky enough that it's hard not to spit the tablet out
sunnyme_123
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by sunnyme_123 »

Thanks booktigger, I will add it to my list to try! Not sure they're that keen on cheese, but we'll find out!!
These particular antibiotics they are on don't come in injection form - that is our method of choice normally, believe me!!
:)
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Janey
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by Janey »

You could try Webbox sticks, just break a piece off and mould it round, king prawns cut in half and poked through and ordinary cheese squished round a tablet. Those have worked on my cats. Best of luck!
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Ruth B
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by Ruth B »

I know you can get Pill Pockets, special cat treats designed to hide pills inside, so they might be worth a try, although being cats, it does seem very variable as to whether the cats like them or not.

Alternative suggestions are Philidelphia cheese, brussels pate, or salmon spread, something like smoked salmon might also work, a nice strong flavour and sticky enough to form a packet around the pill.

You might also find you can hide the tablet in raw chicken better than in cooked (assuming that it is cooked that you have tried), raw chicken does tend to be a bit less crumbly and a bit sticky, you could cut a pocket in a small piece and try and hide it in that.

I think we have all been there, trying to find ways of getting a tablet into a cat, even a normal, non semi feral one with varying degrees of success and comedic effect.
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Oddcat
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by Oddcat »

Sorry this won't help much ... but hopefully will make you laugh :D

http://www.jokefile.co.uk/numerical_order/1132.html
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Kay
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by Kay »

I've had a lot of success with Webbox sticks too

I think the secret, whatever you use, is to offer up a couple of undoctored bits before the one with the pill in, and then another undoctored one after - I also found it helped to sit above the cat and feed downwards, because they tend to gulp it down in one go that way
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Jan
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by Jan »

A good description .... 'not quite wired up the same as normal cats" - perfect description for our Blackie :lol:

You could also try Lick-e-Lix ... it worked the once with Blackie when giving him Milbemax - but only once :roll:
Finnybobbles
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by Finnybobbles »

We used pill pockets for ages and ages with our beloved Holly as she had to have (tiny) tablets daily but would NOT take them - she was about 12 months when we adopted her and took forever to trust us bless her. We always struggled to get tablets down her and it was extremely traumatic for all involved so when she was about 14/15 and she developed a condition requiring the daily tablets we were really worried. Prior to that we had tried every food trick in the book if she needed tablets - hiding it in any kind of food was no good - we even used to crush them and mix them with the water from tuna and then give her that with some of the tuna (she looooooooooooved tuna) - she would eat the tuna and lick the water up but NOT the bits that had the crushed tablet in - would NOT touch it, no way, not ever! My brother suggested the pill pockets and they worked a treat for a good few years - could only get them off places like amazon and ebay and would have to remember to order new supplies well in advance as they usually came from the States and took a while. However, maybe a year or so ago she stopped eating the pill pockets but by then I'd told the vet so many times about pill pockets (they literally kept her alive) that she had been telling other clients about them and then one of the reps that went to them told them about a new product called "Easy pill". Same principle as pill pockets but MUCH cheaper (am sure we paid a couple of pounds at the most for a block and it lasted about 4 weeks - would depend on the size and frequency of tablets though), came in a block in a silver foil packet that you broke off however much you needed and moulded it round the pill. Kept it sealed and it lasted fine. Thankfully Holly tolerated it and taking her daily pills wasn't a problem any more. Sadly we lost her at the age of 18 earlier this year but she had a good innings and we had her a whole lot longer because of pill pockets and then Easy pill than we would have done without them. Really hope you can find something that works for you and your cats. x
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Kay
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Re: Giving cats tablets - suggestions please!!

Post by Kay »

you've given me an idea, Finnybobbles - I am going to buy these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pill-Masker-Pa ... WZEZ4JP5RB to try out on my two without anything inside to see if they'll eat them - and if they will I will give one a week so when and if I need to put pills inside they will be much more likely to accept them
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