Human medications for cats - dont worry I don't give my meds to cats

Hello

I am autistic, high functioning but I have very poor hand eye coordination and drop my medication often. 

My cats follow the pills on the floor and start to play with them, then sniff.

I am terrorfied that my cats will eat the medication, if this was to ever happen, I will rush my cats to the vets...

However would it be safe for any cats to have the same medication as humans?

Here are some medications I take.

codeine, tramadol, amitriptyline, diclofenac and morphine

No medications would be safe for a cat in a human dose. Maybe you could take your pills over the sink, that way if you drop one you could grab it, instead of it rolling on the floor where the cats can get it.

I do, but I very clumsy. I fall over about 8 times per day alone.

Anyway I am scared one of the cats will pick it up in their mouths - thus getting a small dose. 

Here is a list of human medications that are poisonous to cats. I would suggest taking your medications in the bathroom or somewhere where you can lock out the cats before you take your meds.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/top-10-human-medications-that-poison-our-pets.aspx

I have been taking my medication for years now, the cats have never tried to eat them, only sniff. 

I over think and worry too much and wanted to know what if they licked or tried to eat them, I know they would spit them out as they do with their medication but that small amount is still harmful for cats right?

gaogier said:

I have been taking my medication for years now, the cats have never tried to eat them, only sniff. 

I over think and worry too much and wanted to know what if they licked or tried to eat them, I know they would spit them out as they do with their medication but that small amount is still harmful for cats right?

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Gosh, as soon as any of us say that they would be fine due to only coming in contact with the pill's coating...dust could be on the outside of the coating. In any case it is obvious that you are trying to take every precaution but know that sometimes stuff just happens.

Is it the pill bottles themselves that give you trouble? Would the pharmacist have bottles that are easier to access? Or possibly pill reminder boxes so you can pre-fill the day or week of medication and limit pill-dropping opportunities? Maybe speak with your healthcare professional about finding a method that works and for not only you but your kitties' safety too?

They are all in bottles, I can open them, but my cats hear the sounds of tablets in the bottles and think treats, Which is why I think they are interested in the medication. 

I tend to get them out and take them when needed so reminder boxes are not really great. I do this over a bowl, but when I take them, I tend to drop them as I put them in my mouth. 

I am scared that they will lick, so are coated in something to a lick will be safe?

Hey! A fellow autie cat person! *waves*

Gotta say... those are some pretty serious pain meds. Whatever you're going through, hang in there; it can't be any fun.

Some of those would be very dangerous indeed for a cat. Morphine in human doses... well, you probably weigh ten times what your cat weighs, approximately, and even in human doses morphine is a medication where the dosage has to be carefully monitored. If a cat managed to eat a dose of morphine, there's no guarantee you would be able to get the cat to the vet quickly enough. Ditto for amitryptilene. That's a tricyclic antidepressant--narrow therapeutic index. Not as bad as lithium, but still. Quite dangerous for cats just because of the sheer dosage, let alone any particular problems specific to cats. I think you are very wise to be thinking about this and taking precautions.

The cat actually eating a pill is the worst case scenario. More likely, the cat would spit the pill back out rather than chewing it up or swallowing it. A coated pill or a capsule would be comparatively less of a risk for a cat, because a coating is usually meant to stop it from dissolving all at once and giving you an upset stomach (coated pills will usually have a "do not split or crush" warning on the bottle), and a capsule is just gelatin. If it is coated, then the cat will likely be fine. If not, I would call the vet even if you managed to get the pill back out of the cat's mouth intact.

But if you regularly drop pills on the floor, and your cats are the sort to put non-food items in their mouths, then you probably should take some precautions.

Here is what I suggest--when you take your pills, sit down at the table and put your pills and water and stuff on a tray with raised edges, so that if you drop a pill you will drop it back onto the tray, where the edges should stop it from bouncing off the table and onto the floor where your cats can get at it. It'll help you, too, because that way you won't have to swallow pills you picked back up off the floor, or lose them under the refrigerator, or whatever. A tray would be bigger than a bowl, and so if you leaned over it when you took your pills you would probably just drop them back onto the tray.

I don't think most people would have to worry about their cats getting into their meds, so long as the medicine was kept in a bottle with a top the cat couldn't open. Many cats won't eat anything that doesn't smell like food, and most people don't drop their pills often enough for it to be a problem. But--your situation might be enough of a risk, what with your curious cats and your tendency to drop things. It wouldn't hurt to set up something to catch any dropped pills, and it'd probably give you some peace of mind.

...yeah, I think I overanalyzed that.

I don't think you over analyzed it at all! That was terrific advice! Especially about the tray.

Gaogier, do you use a pill cup to take your meds? That might help as well.

What it is, when I put the meds in my mouth to take, I sometimes miss my mouth, with one or 2 pills, and they fall on the floor and roll, one of my cats see it and stop it from rolling away, sniff and thats it.

I am scared they will put it in their mouths, if that happens they will get a trace of the medication right? - unless its the capsules... 

Morphine is in liquid form, and I add it to a drink, so no problems there really. 

Can your other drugs be 'liquified'?  Or flavored, in some flavor not attractive to cats, like citrusor berry?

I am afraid not, unless I get a completely different prescription from my doctors - Not to worry I have been on these medications since before I got my cats, and so far no eatings or attempted eatings.

Update - my cats really want to eat these medications - http://www.kalmssleep.com/product-info/kalms-night-one-a-night.ashx

I notice that an ingredient is valerian.

Valerian root contains a chemical called valerinon which is similar to catnip. Many cats are naturally attracted to the plant .
Read more: Cats & Valerian Root | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6008680_cats-valerian-root.html#ixzz2P3bu0wD6

Some people theorize that Pied the Piper lured cats out of the town using valerian.

Pure valerian root smells AWFUL, I got it thinking maybe Ritz would be attracted to it (she ignores catnip), but it smells worse than green tripe and I had to throw it away.  You might find some cat toys with valerian in it; that is maybe why your cats want to eat the drug.

Ah, that could be why they come running when its time for my medication time at night. 

Yeah, probably.

Do they like catnip:  maybe when you take your medication you can give them some catnip.

Is it safe for them to eat? This Kalms One a night?

I would only give your cats Valerian toys that are made for cats. The pills for humans are probably too high of a dose.

They just really want to eat it, without me being 100% on game, I have 3 cats wanting to eat it, my other cat taffy does not want to eat it...

gaogier said:

I do, but I very clumsy. I fall over about 8 times per day alone.

Anyway I am scared one of the cats will pick it up in their mouths - thus getting a small dose. 

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you sound like you have a neurological problem

go in a room shut the door make sure there is no cats in it and take your meds make sure you didn't leave any on the floor before you open the door