Cat won't let me put pill gun in his mouth

My Bob has asthma and needs to take Prednisone daily. Lately he won't let me put the pill gun in his mouth. If I get it in it's not far enough and he spits the pill out. He was a semi-feral when I took him in a year ago, and he scratches and will not allow me to wrap him in a kitty burito. I tried putting the pill in food, but sometimes he doesn't eat everything and he needs to have the entire pill. Any suggestions?

can you crush the pill and mix it in with some wet food?

Sometimes he doesn't eat it all, even if it's as little as 1/8 a can. He's especially finicky if he can taste the pill. Last night I was just so worn out from fighting that I skipped the pill and he had a small attack this morning. I crushed a pill into his breakfast and hoped for the best.

What if you mixed it in the liquid from a pouch or a can of chicken? You might also be able to syringe the liquid/pill mixture into his mouth. You don't have to get that far into the mouth with a syringe. I can't pill April Joy but I can get her to drink from the syringe. There are also little kitty baby bottles you could try.

Be sure to check with your vet or pharmacist before crushing a pill! If it is a time release type of pill, it could be very dangerous.

My best friend had a cat that wouldn't take pills, and she had a transdermal cream made with his meds in it- it came in a small syringe with the doses marked on it, and she would wear rubber or plastic gloves and rub it on his ear, and that worked pretty well, especially if he was distracted (like with a treat).

I'm not sure it would work for you,but I've found that coating the pill with a bit of butter helps. It disguises the taste a little and makes it go down easier and quicker.

Does the med come in a different form? Especially since your kitty is semi-feral, I'd look to alternative to the pill form-- like making it into a liquid if the pill is not time released.

The vet said crushing this pill is OK. Prednisone also comes in a liquid, and it can be chemically mixed to taste like chicken or tuna. Sometimes he's fine with the pilling, but the times he's not I get the scratches.

Why don't you get the kind that's flavored?

Originally Posted by Bob'sMom

The vet said crushing this pill is OK. Prednisone also comes in a liquid, and it can be chemically mixed to taste like chicken or tuna. Sometimes he's fine with the pilling, but the times he's not I get the scratches.

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glad its ok to crush. my vet said so about most pills, but its always safe to ask. did you have any luck?

Bob cooperated last night. My fear with crushing is that 1) he won't eat it all and 2) the other cat will get into his food and get medicine not meant for him. Bob has had two short asthma attacks since Sunday (when he really got nutty and refused the pill) but I hope I have him back on track now. The vet had indicated to me that the pill form of Prednisone is preferable to the liquid, so that's why I haven't gone to the liquid yet.

Thanks for the help - I think I might try the butter trick if I get more resistance.