does she hate me??

Why is it that when we go to the vet, he can hold her down and pry open her mouth and its no problem, she just sits there and takes it, but then when I try to do it she goes NUTS She squirms all around, and her head. . . it's everywhere, its like she's trying to fight for her life. I just don't understand what he's doing differently. Maybe she hates me because of all the recent vet vistis. I don't know. I am discouraged.

No she doesn't hate you. The vet knows how to do it, is not emotionally invested in the cat and treats the cat so matter of factly that the cat just has to comply.

the exact same thing happens with our alpha baby cat Tipsy - the vet is so non fussed about it and can do it in a matter of seconds... when I try and do it myself I think Tipsy picks up on the fact that something is different as no matter how calm I try and be and how much I try and pretend nothing out of the ordinary is about to happen - Tipsy ALWAYS knows and he will scratch and bite me!!
But he really is a baby any other time.

hmm that's what I figured, I'm just totally stressing here, and I figure she knows that. We tried to giver her the antihistamine (see URI Felicity Update in Health/Nutrition for more info) we got it in her mouth, and then while she was wrapped in the towel I tried massaging her throat to get her to swallow it, and after a while I figured she had but then as soon as we let her go she spit it all out, and was drooling like crazy. I think I need to become a vet so I can treat these guys for free. geeze this is costing me a fortune, and I'm sure many brain cells due to stress. Any tips on giving her pills so that she'll actually swallow them? She's not eating or drinking, so I can't put it in her food or water, I just don't know what to do.

my vet told me the best way to tell whether they have swallowed a pill is when you see them actually swallow - sounds simple, but its not as simple as it sounds lol but I found it the best way to do it.

Did you vet show you the best way to tilt her head back and how to open her mouth?

no he didn't. I think I really need some lessons though.

I know my cat is scared of me because I have to medicate him. He doesn't like being medicated so he runs away from me all the time. Unfortunately, he is a sickly cat, and I always have to take him to a vet. As soon as he starts to trust me a little, back to the vet he goes, and then he is scared of me again.

ACK - I dont know how to explain it. My vet showed me how to do it and it really helps.

hmmm lets see how I go.....
put your left hand thumb and forefinger on her cheekbones (you can feel it - its about where her mouth ends) and then slowly pull her head backwards. The vet assured me that it does not hurt them and pull her head back as far as you can.
Once doing that then get someone else to open her mouth and drop the pill in - try and hit her throat. Then close her mouth and massage her neck and you should see her swallow.

If you cant work out where I mean by the fingers on the cheek bones - then I can always take a photo of me doing it to one of my boys

Thanks that helped, I will try it when she is due for her next pill. After you explained it, I could picture it cause that was the exact same thing my vet did to her, and to me it looked painful, but it worked for him so i will try it.

it does look painful but it really doesnt hurt them.

GOOD LUCK!!!! and let me know how you go.

pill gun best invention on the market

I think I will have to invest in a pill gun. I can't believe what a squirmy cat she is. I was sitting on top of her, with her wrapped in a house coat, holding her head back, while my boyfriend opened her mouth. We put the pill at the back of her throat, but the tricky little b**ch , she swallowed so we let her go, but she hadn't swallowed the pill and spit it back up. We ended up crushing the pill, and mixing it with the electrolyte solution that she's supposed to drink, and gave it to her with a syringe. I'm pretty sure she took all of it. I wish there was a simple way to do this.

how frustrating....

our Tipsy sounds like her - they sometimes dont make it easy, but stick with it - you will get there.... and maybe the pill gun is a good idea if this is long term medication (sorry I havent caught up on your other posts)

Another sign that they have swallowed is when they lick their noses. Sometimes, I will pry open Spot's mouth after I think he's swallowed, and then release, and he will swallow for sure. Depending on the kind of pill, it might be bitter. If so, you may want to try pill pockets or empty gel capsules (some pharmacies and most health stores carry them) so that the kitty doesn't taste the medicine. On my stubborn, squirmy cat, I try to pin her between my legs, pry open her mouth, and push the capsule as far back as possible without her gagging. I close her mouth *quickly* and hold it gently but firmly closed until her tongue licks her nose. If I don't hold her mouth closed, she will start a chewing response and the whole pill goes up in foam and I end up with half a cup of drool on my lap.

The other reason the vet doesn't have an issue is because your cat doesn't trust him or her enough to fight. With you, she knows that you won't do anything to hurt her even if she is uncooperative. She doesn't have that same faith and trust in the vet.

Good luck!

Oh yeah, I also feed or give my cats treats after the pills so they have something to replace the taste and texture of the pills. Plus, I stay on their good side when I give them Pounce.

Originally Posted by cloud_shade

I close her mouth *quickly* and hold it gently but firmly closed until her tongue licks her nose. If I don't hold her mouth closed, she will start a chewing response and the whole pill goes up in foam and I end up with half a cup of drool on my lap.

Click to expand...

of course - its the lick that you need to wait for! i forgot about that - its not the swallow at all!! thanks!!

and your description above is so very true

I'm going to go shopping today. I'm going to buy a pill gun, some milk, tuna, and whatever else yummy foods I can think of that she likes. This is so frightening , her not eating. I am really scared that she will develop this liver disease, it totally freaks me out. I just wish she wanted to eat, I wish she was interested in food, but she is soo not.

coat it in butter. it will slip down easier and not taste so bad.

Hissy also uses squirty cheese.

I found the only way to deal with this is to assert yourself. Marsh sometimes will squirm, but i hold on tight and WITHOUT raising my voice, speak firmly to let me know this will end soon.

I bought some tuna and she won't eat it, I bought some milk and she won't drink it. I also got her some cat treats which she seems completely unamused with. She won't eat freakin anything!!!! I bought some chicken baby food, and I will try her in a bit. Should I try to syringe feed her the baby food? Cause I know she's not going to eat it on her own.
I will try the pill coated in butter, and I'm going to pet smart later to get a pill gun.

People in the vet field tend to have a way with animals. I'm not sure if it's the way they talk to them or the way they hold them, but Limerick seems to be very calm when ever he is getting examined. It's really wierd. I don't think she hates you Limerick squirms when I try it too.