Pilling a cat—at what point is it cruelty?

[Anonymous]

Buy some gelcaps, such as https://capsuline.com/collections/petcaps
(Also available on Amazon)

Use a pill shooter, if you dont already have one

https://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-Pet-Piller/dp/B0002ZAG84/ref=pd_bxgy_2/134-2223183-8894802?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0002ZAG84&pd_rd_r=bcfa16f0-819c-4ed2-a983-988b53d81083&pd_rd_w=ClBrx&pd_rd_wg=ggAHP&pf_rd_p=ce6c479b-ef53-49a6-845b-bbbf35c28dd3&pf_rd_r=R62J80SWMK8TPM3CWB6P&psc=1&refRID=R62J80SWMK8TPM3CWB6P

That way you can put all the little 1/2 and 1/4 tablets into it, and it is one ‘shot’ down the throat with a pill shooter.

I also set my cell phone alarms to remind me when it is time to pill the cat. I have the daily pill sorter box, and will spend time every other week, prepping all the meds.

You can do this. Your cat will get accustomed to it. I crouch on the floor with my cat between my legs (so she can’t squirm out backwards), hold her head and open her mouth with one hand, and use the pill shooter to shoot it down her throat. The first couple of days might be a little tricky, till you get the hang of it, but pretty soon your cat will be all nonchalant about it, like “ oh that again.”

Good luck!

Signed, someone who medicated three different cats for several years (2 or 3 times daily) for CHF.

[Anonymous]

We told the vet we were having trouble with the pills. She sent a prescription into a compounding pharmacy that gave us a liquid med mixed with flavors like tuna. Then we usually mixed the liquid in this stuff that our cat oved: Hartz Delectables Squeeze Ups Tuna Lickable Cat Treat

Good luck OP

[Anonymous]

Some cats’ personalities dictate whether you can continue with treatment or whether it is more humane to put them down. I am sorry to say.

We had one cat with hyperthyroid whose high strung personality (his whole life; poor guy had probably been through a lot before we got him, we suspected) made it impossible to treat him past a certain point. May he Rest In Peace, sweet, funny guy.

In comparison, we have an achingly calm orange tabby boy who lets me give him prednisolone every day in addition to a chemo pill two times a week. With my own fingers, I simply stimulate the side of his mouth, he opens his mouth, and I Place it as far back as I can. He always gets treats when we are finished, so maybe that helps? But that truly has bough him multiple more years of his life just because his personality is more laid back and pliable.

It just makes me sad for my first little guy, that he could not still be with us if he did not get so panicked at every attempt to help him.

[Anonymous]

Can you get them in liquid form?

My cat once lost a toenail and had to go on Antibacterial and pain medication for a week as it healed. One was a liquid, and I squirted it into tuna water or one of those cat soup packets and he ate it without complaint. For the pill I cut it in quarters and wrapped each piece in a small strip of deli ham. He was very happy to get so many treats and never complained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you get them in liquid form?

My cat once lost a toenail and had to go on Antibacterial and pain medication for a week as it healed. One was a liquid, and I squirted it into tuna water or one of those cat soup packets and he ate it without complaint. For the pill I cut it in quarters and wrapped each piece in a small strip of deli ham. He was very happy to get so many treats and never complained.

Yes, do liquid if at all possible. Then mix with wet food. Brookville pharmacy compounds per meds and delivers.

[Anonymous]

NP - All of these responses indicate that every cat is different, and like with everything else, if what you're doing isn't working, try something else, and keep trying (something else) until you hit on the right solution for you.

Our own experience... pilling was awful until we just did it the exact same way, every day, and followed up with her favorite treat (experiment until you find one that's irresistible). Our un-pillable cat became a begger for her fast, efficient pilling followed by her favorite treat at the same time every day. It took about two weeks of consistency to get there. We did hand pilling.

[Anonymous]

I did hand pilling with my cat with late stage heart disease. Unfortunately it ended with a saddle thrombus, which was so traumatic that I haven't gotten another cat.

It's going to depend on your cat's personality. Mine was surprisingly tolerant of being pilled, not that he liked it, he definitely did not, but he was "over it" within minutes and didn't avoid any of us. His life was fine and normal until the minute it wasn't. If your cat is so miserable that it's avoiding you, maybe another conversation with your vet is in order.

[Anonymous]

OP here. We use a pill shooter and have tried a couple of models but it's still really ugly. We have a couple of pills morning and evening and liquid both times. The cat manages to spit them out more than half the time despite rubbing the throat with the mouth closed and blowing in his face. He gets quite upset and is hiding from us all the time. I talked to my vet about it yesterday because he had to have his chest tapped (fluid drained from around the lungs) and she talked about some different options like just focusing on one med so we tried that last night and still can't get it down. He is not our first cat and not the first cat we've pilled. It's just not going well and I'm ready to throw in the towel for the pills and stop despite all the expensive meds that aren't even clsoe to empty.