Hello, introducing myself and Meeko!

Hello everyone! I'm new to the boards and I'll be introducing myself and my new Ragdoll seal named Meeko! He's 9 weeks old and quite the lovey.He's a wool sucker, loving to knead and lick.

My first subject to broach is that I just gave Meeko his first dose of tape worm medicine that came in tablets. For his size/age he gets half a tablet. I first tried a vet's suggestion of using "squeeze" cheese and he took to it fairly well. Then he refused the other bits of the medicine and started slobbering all over the place!

So I crushed up the remaining bits of medicine, mixed it with a little bit of water and gently gave it to him orally thru a syringe. He didn't like it one bit and he slobbered even more.

The slobber/drooling is normal, correct? Is there anyway in the future I can make this easier on him?

Also, I'll be self administering his vaccination (Feline Focus 5) tonight myself, and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on to make this a smooth and (near) painless experience for him.

Many thanks in advance!

Hi and welcome to TCS.

With giving kittens tablets, I find the easiest way is to give them just the tablet, without trying to disguise it or crush it up. If it's large, you can break it in half.

Hold kitty's head and gently point kitty's nose towards the ceiling, the jaw should open slightly. Hold the pill in your thumb and forefinger and use the ring or middle finger of the same hand to open the mouth further, still with kitty's nose pointing to the sky. Drop the pill into the mouth, aiming for the back of the throat.

Now comes the important bit.

Making sure your finger has a short nail, do a quick poke of your finger down the kitties throat, pushing the pill a little further down. Do this on one quick move - drop pill, push pill and remove finger.

Let kitty shut his mouth and then stroke his throat to help the pill go down. You will know it has when kitty licks his nose. If he doesn't do this, he's tricking and you'll need to stroke his throat some more. This part isn't compulory but I find it helps kittens - use a dropper or feeding syringe to give a little bit of water so the pill doesn't get stuck in the kittie's throat.

I don't have any suggestions since the vet always doses my guys..
I just wanted to say HI! and welcome to TCS
When you get a chance we would love to see some pictures of your little guy!!

Here's a picture of my darling Meeko!

Yes, the drooling is completely normal. They will act like you have given them some horrible, horrible poison but they do recover quickly afterwards.

Be careful of using worming tablets that you can buy off the shelf from stores. They can contain the incorrect dosage of worming med, making them innefective or they may not treat for all types of worms. Always buy your worming treatment from a vet (you'll need to know your cat's weight) or reputable pet store. Make sure the medication covers Hookworm, Tapeworm and Roundworm. I'd recommend Drontal or Felex Plus.

Can I ask why you're vaccinating the kitten yourself? Has a vet or vet tech shown you how? I only ask because it's possible to accidently inject the vaccine into an artery or vein if you're not sure what you're doing.

Awww...he's such a cutie!

Originally Posted by Kumbulu

Yes, the drooling is completely normal. They will act like you have given them some horrible, horrible poison but they do recover quickly afterwards.

Be careful of using worming tablets that you can buy off the shelf from stores. They can contain the incorrect dosage of worming med, making them innefective or they may not treat for all types of worms. Always buy your worming treatment from a vet (you'll need to know your cat's weight) or reputable pet store. Make sure the medication covers Hookworm, Tapeworm and Roundworm. I'd recommend Drontal or Felex Plus.

Can I ask why you're vaccinating the kitten yourself? Has a vet or vet tech shown you how? I only ask because it's possible to accidently inject the vaccine into an artery or vein if you're not sure what you're doing.

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The vet has given me Drontal.

And as for vaccinating myself, y'know - it's just something I've always done for my animals. I volunteered at SISCA (humane cat and dog rescue, nonkill) a few years ago and I was taught everything I needed to know about vaccinating cats and dogs. And ever since, I've just done it myself. 'Cept the rabies, obviously.

Good to hear - you obviously know what you are doing.

He's so cute!

Originally Posted by Mrs_Culley

Here's a picture of my darling Meeko!

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This is a great picture! I am a big fan of blue eyes as Persi could tell you.