Tips on pilling a traumatized cat that doesn't like to be touched...by yourself.

[yoohoora]

I might sound like a bit of a noob here, but I just had my hand ripped apart by my cat Pi. I can't bend  one of my fingers now, and it's all swollen up.  I really don't want a repeat of this.  haha  Regardless, I'll go to the doctor's for that.  That's not my biggest worry.

My issue is that I have to learn how to pill a cat that lets fly with the claws when she's restrained, and she really kicks up a fight.  She's just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and I have to give her one pill a day for the rest of her life.  Maybe two if one doesn't do the trick. 

I am intimidated by this because the ordeal is very stressful for her, and for me. I have to do it by myself. I honestly don't know how to do it properly. 

She will not eat the pill pockets.  In fact, she's not feeling well, so, I have to get her from under the bed, which is her hiding place.  So, she's already stressed out by the time I try to position her..  She's not really eating either.  I can't crush up the pill and put it in food.  She just won't eat it.  It's a very bitter tasting pill.

I personally feel she has PTSD, or some other stress disorder.  She's never let me pick her up.  She has a high startle reflex.  She lived under the tub for the first six months after I got her. She was sick, and I had to pill her and give her a ringworm bath everyday. for a few weeks. So, it took longer to win her over.  She was very abused as a feral kitten.  Of course, when she was wee, I could control her better.  haha 

The point is, I don't want to make her so stressed out that she stops trusting me.  It took a lot of work to win her over, and years to get her to the point where she'd even play.

Can anyone suggest ideas on how I can do this without harming my relationship with her?  Are there any videos?  The ones that I've seen on youtube show two people for the most part, or cooperative cats. I simply cat put her on my lap or a table.  She'll freak out. 

She won't let me wrap her in a towel easily, although I might have to keep trying it because I don't know what else to do.  I haven't had much success with the towel yet.

So, any tricks or tips would be great. 

 

[yoohoora]

I had to give my cat Ra two insulin shots everyday for years, and that was a cake walk compared to pilling Pi.  haha

 

[mnm]

aww that's rough. I absolutely HATED giving Minnie meds for the simple reason I didn't want it to ruin our close relationship! She was mild and I could do the "kneel behind her" and tilt back her head trick, as she wouldn't do the pill pockets either... sometimes I used a pill gun which is kinda hard on your own to use. Finally she would take the pill cut up in teeny pieces and wrapped in Whiska soft treats. But on days she didn't feel well..she didn't like to eat the treats sometimes..and I didn't force her. I hope you can get good advice... does your kitty like any cheese or anything like that to cut the pill even smaller and just give her more treats with smaller pieces of pill in them?

 

[slykat12]

I dunno what pill pocket you used but "Greenies" pill pockets are great and worked for me. Go ahead and buy the dog one as the ingredients are exactly the same and the dog one is often cheaper by weight. I don't think your pill is big so you can tear a big dog Greenie into several  bite size greenies and take one and mush/ball it up around the pill.

Make 3 balls total using 1/2 dog greenie. One w pill two without. Give kitty greenie piece number one with no pill as a tease, then give greenie two with pill, then give greenie 3 fast with no pill to get the taste of the pill out of kittys mouth-"the chaser" . One dog greenie will make 6 cat bites easy. 

 

[yoohoora]

@MnM:  I wish there was a simple way to get the pill down her throat.  I really am afraid of damaging the relationship.    I don't give her human food.  Maybe I should just stop trying to pill her after a few failed attempts, and give her time to calm down.  If she misses a night, so be it.  The vet told me it was important to give her the pill at the same time each day, so, it's a bit of a dilemma.  She needs the meds, or her health will worsen.  I don't want to lose her. 

@slykat.  I did give her the Greenies brand.  Salmon flavour, which Ra loved.  Luckily, he gobbled those pill pockets up each time I offered them.  Not so with Pi.  She doesn't like them.  I really think she's feeling nauseous from the meds.  She hasn't been right since I started her on them. Then again, that was the same day the kitten nailed her and pinned her to the ground.  haha  She growled all the way to her bedroom, and even under the bed.  She never growls. 

 

[pebble]

I've had success hiding medication in vegemite (I'm Australian haha, not sure what other countries it's available in but marmite is pretty much the same thing, if that helps...). I think cause it's really salty and stinky, it's appealing (and cause its so strong it might mask the taste of the medicine more?). You can even add enough plain flour to make it into a dough if that's easier to administer (then you can break it up into little pieces and feed it bit by bit as "treats"). If you want to give it a try, I'd start with offering her some vegemite (or equivalent product) first to see if it appeals to her at all, my cat might just be a weirdo.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

The bottom two posts on this thread might be helpful:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/277646/pilling-your-cat 

Also, maybe you'll find something in this one that might help:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/246066/pilling-success-my-new-trick

I know your pain.  I have a cat that is impossible to pill too, but luckily she doesn't have hyperthyrodism.  There IS a food out there for this condition, however.  Did your Vet discuss THAT with you.  My understanding was that as long as that is the only thing that passes their lips (other than water), medication wasn't needed

  'Course, if you've got other cats, that could pose a problem, since you wouldn't want them eating it, and vice versa. 

 

[yoohoora]

Good news. The vet said she's going to give me gel to put on Pi's ears.  It's twice a day instead of once, but that's a small price to pay for her health.   No more pills.  I didn't know there was such a treatment.  I'm so relieved.  And the vet's going to let me return the pills for a refund.  How awesome is my vet? 

Dealing with a chronically ill cat can be a bit exhausting.  I know with Ra, I felt a bit trapped having to always be here to give him his insulin twice a day.  My friends felt too scared to give him the injection, so, I always had to be here.  No vacation in a tropical clime.  No weekends away.  I think I have a bit more wiggle room with Pi's treatment, though.  And I can get someone to give her the meds if I have to go away.

I'm just so bloody relieved that I don't have to pill Pi anymore.  I will have to work hard to win back her trust after just one pilling episode.  She is acting like she's scared of me after last night's terrible experience.  I'm sure I can win her over, though, in time.  The ear treatment won't be traumatic for her.  I have to make sure I don't get any gel on my hands, though, because it will be absorbed into my skin. The vet warned me about that. I have hypothyroidism...so, Pi's medication would mess with that. 

 

[goholistic]

That's great! My boyfriend's cat has hyperthyroidism and she's just like your Pi. 

  He ended up getting the transdermal gel for her as well. His vet, however, wanted to check the thyroid levels every 2-3 weeks in the beginning because the gel dosage may need to be adjusted. When he took the cat in for a check-up, she went too far the other way (hypothyroidism) and the gel dose had to be reduced. I'm not sure if this is just something that has to be done with the gel or what, but wanted to share. My boyfriend alternates ears, but the ears do have to be cleaned twice a week or so. The gel builds up and the ear gets all gunky. At least for his cat, anyway.

He does apply the gel with his fingers, so if you're worried about getting it on your hands, perhaps you could purchase non-latex gloves.

 

[mnm]

oh man... I don't know why I didn't think of the gel as I even checked to see if Minnie's supplement could be made into one. (hits palm on forehead)
I am soooo thankful you can do the gel!!!!

 

[yoohoora]

 
That's great! My boyfriend's cat has hyperthyroidism and she's just like your Pi. 

  He ended up getting the transdermal gel for her as well. His vet, however, wanted to check the thyroid levels every 2-3 weeks in the beginning because the gel dosage may need to be adjusted. When he took the cat in for a check-up, she went too far the other way (hypothyroidism) and the gel dose had to be reduced. I'm not sure if this is just something that has to be done with the gel or what, but wanted to share. My boyfriend alternates ears, but the ears do have to be cleaned twice a week or so. The gel builds up and the ear gets all gunky. At least for his cat, anyway.

He does apply the gel with his fingers, so if you're worried about getting it on your hands, perhaps you could purchase non-latex gloves.

Good to know the gel is working for your boyfriend's cat. There's nothing worse than pilling a terrified cat. I'm up to my elbows in antibioltic ointment today.  Pi hit one of the veins in my finger.  It's blue with blood and swollen to twice its size!  haha.  I have deep scratches everywhere. 

I'm going to get latex gloves, and will clean her ears before each application. That's what the vet suggested to me.   We're starting her off on a low dose.  I'm back to the vet's in three weeks to see how she's doing.  Wish me luck. 

Also MnM..I'm so relieved about the gel.  Maybe I won't look like I've shoved my hands and arms in broken glass anymore.  haha  Oh, the things we do for our kitties.  But seriously, the biggest bonus is that she won't be traumatized and she and I can continuing to have a trusting relationship.  She's such a sweet, loving thing.  I'd hate to lose that with her. 

 

[meow2u2]

This may be something to keep the FYI list or maybe FMI.

My kitty was diagnosed with hyperthyroid and I was given the option to medicate 2x per day..for an impossible cat with very sharp, long claws. I did a lot of research online and found that the only real "cure" was irradiation, about 98%. From what I read, the cost of the treatment, usually only one time, and over the cat's life time, was actually less expensive than the medication and vet visits. Here in the US the treatment runs between $650 and $1200, in Canada, a lot less, maybe more like 650. It's a three to four day stay until the radiation level is reduced, but the stay is comfortable. I talked with one Vet and she said it would be her choice with no question.  It is a very low dose radiation, not likely to cause any lasting damage. Everything has side effects including the medication used to treat hyperthyroid. BTW Hill y/d cost $28.00, 4lbs and the canned is $2.35 per, it is reported to have great results....then there's the anxiety inherent in medication scheduling and application.  

I'm a bit of a health fanatic, for my entire life and I am at 76 very healthy, no meds, no hospitalizations, except for my 4 children, certainly no surgeries. I make a habit of knowing about anything I put into my body.....and that of my 20 yo cat. 

Any way you can give this some thought and I wish you and Pi the best of luck.