Elderly cat, multi meds

My 17 year old cat whom I love to pieces started on heart meds today. He's supposed to get two daily doses. He already gets a couple of doses of a med to help him not have rock-hard stools that he can't pass. I'm waiting on his kidney results (the vet already knows he has kidney disease but has said it's probably early) so that's more meds, I would think.

The thing is he HATES taking medication and from his reaction I think this new heart stuff tastes really bad.

I don't want to destroy his quality of life to keep him alive. He gets really stressed when he sees the dropper coming once a day, let alone 4 or 5 times. So I'm thinking of giving him the heart meds once a day (maybe the vet will let me give him both doses in one) , the poopy stuff, like, every other day, and figure in the kidney meds when they come. I'm even considering giving him one med-free day a week, just for him to enjoy a day without that dropper coming at him.

In his old age, he's grown into a very happy loving cat. (He was a very nervous rescue 16 years ago and it's been a gradual change over the years.) Is it okay to balance out his meds somehow like this so he doesn't start dreading me approaching him. He just started periodic lap sitting this year (he's a big guy, it's not comfortable for him but he wants to be with me so he tries) and I don't want to sacrifice his happiness for his health. I also don't want to lose him. I'm trying to find a compromise. Is that okay?

I called the vet's office and the vet said it's okay to give him just one dropper of heart med at double the dosage, so that helps (me) a lot. He's going to hate it anyway......

Is it in liquid form?  There are different types of medication and different forms of it. My old girl had medical issues, and she absolutely was impossible to give anything by mouth.  Even the Vet techs couldn't do it.  So that left usa few other choices..compounded liquids that tasted like chicken or fish (which were hit or miss as she was a picky eater, .transdermal gels to rub into her ears, or injections.  We ended up doing the two latter, depending on which meds we were doing.

For her Chronic constipation (she was a kidney cat), we were able to get her miralax in her by dissolving it in a little bit of water and then mixing it into her wet food.  since it has no flavor and doesn't gel up, she never knew it was there.  One obstacle down

For her appetite, we used a transdermal gel and rubbed it into her ear while she was getting her loving on our laps,  Usually she never knew what was happening since we just incorporated it into the routine of loving her up. Obstacle two down

For her Famotudine (for over acidity, which causes vomiting in kidney cats) we were able to get that in an injectible using teeny, tiny needles, and again incorporated that into her loving routine.  I don't think she EVER knew when she got an injection since it went right into her scruff while she was in the throws of a purrfest at the time it happened.  So, last obstacle down

Now, I don't know what drugs you are giving, or whether or not any of these suggestions will work, but they might...particularly getting them compounded, since they appear to be in liquid form.   There are compounding pharmacies on the internet.  Roadrunner is one of them, and they list meds and what they can compound them into:  http://www.roadrunnerpharmacy.com/vets/product-services-guide/  That just happens to be the one WE used, but there are others out there. 

mrsgreenjeens

The transdermal med is a GREAT idea - I know they have them for human heart patients - i'll ask my vet, thanks!!!