Bad, Sneaky Basil!!!

**NoahsMommy** · 01-23-2003, 01:26 PM

Uh....Basil did NOT take his meds the other night like I told you all, nor did he take them last night. Seems that my dear, stubborn boy waits until we release him, jumps down and spits out the meds! I found the a fuzzy, gross pill under the table last night!!! Little brat!

I tried the baby food mixture and he wouldn't touch it! I'm going to the vet to get a syringe to make sure that pill and baby food gets down there.

Jeeesh! I'm about ready to ship him off to Phred to teach Basil how to take these darn things!!

**boscibo** · 01-23-2003, 01:42 PM

Poor Basil - he knows they taste bad. I don't know if this will help, but for our old dog (who need supplements and aspirin for his arthritis) we got a pill crusher at either a drugstore or a nutrition store. We crush his pills and mix them in with his food.

Basil, be a good boy and take your medicines!

**Cinder & Smoke** · 01-23-2003, 02:04 PM

Originally posted by NoahsMommy
... I found the a fuzzy, gross pill under the table last night!!! Little brat!

... I'm going to the vet to get a syringe to make sure that pill and baby food gets down there.

Jeeesh! I'm about ready to ship him off to Phred to teach Basil how to take these darn things!!

Hmmmm... Basil prolly won't like the crushed pill + baby food dose, either!

Least painful (for MeowMee & Patient) is probably the Pill Shooter - *shoots* the whole pill (not crushed nor mixed with anything) FAR enough down the throat that da Kat cannot spit or *tongue* it back out - it's Down da Hatch.

If you GO to the Vet - ask if they have a Pill Shooter to show/sell you. (But don't pay too much!) You don't need the *fancee* Chrome Edition that the Vet uses and has to autoclave after each use. Most of the pet stores sell the plastic ones for $2-3. They might *look* a lil BIG (about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in diameter) - but they DO work for a cat! (Just ask Boots!)

If there's *doubt* about it staying *down* - hang onto the Patient after the pill and offer a *I-can't-pass-THIS-up* treat ~ Gobblin the Treat will make sure the pill gets pushed ALL the way down in front of the treat! (Boots NEVER passes up a Temptations Treat!)

**Russian Blue** · 01-23-2003, 02:11 PM

Are you able to crush the pill and mix it in with some wet food?

The Siamese cat I had when I was growing up was notorious for spitting the pill up after we let her go. But of course, she would make sure we were not watching!

I've never had to use the "pill gun" but have heard it's the easiest way to give pills!

Good luck!

Nakita would love Basil....since she is becoming sneaky herself in her old age !!

**emily_the_spoiled** · 01-23-2003, 02:13 PM

Hi NoahsMommy,

If Emily requires the pill form of a medicine I crush it up (like your vet suggested), but I mix it in with smelly wet cat food (seafood flavours work the best for Emily).

Chlorpheneramine does come in a liquid form for humans. It is probably a little sweet for cats, but if you mix it with wet food it will help mask the flavour of it. Go to your local pharmacy and the pharmacist should be able to help you out to convert the dose. If they don't feel free to PM me and I will help you.

**BastetsMum** · 01-23-2003, 02:51 PM

The Pill Popper (or shooter) works great for Bastet when she has to take tablets. At least you don't get the gross fuzzy things under tables. She is very suspicious of anything I try so I just pop her now (with pills that is laughs).

**jenluckenbach** · 01-23-2003, 03:23 PM

If you give a whole pill (vs. a crushed one) I always hold the jaw closed until they lick their lips. Usually a good sign that it went down.

**Randi** · 01-23-2003, 03:41 PM

Knowing Fister, I nearly panicked the first few times I had to give him a pill. Like Phred says, the pill popper is probably the best way to give it to him, but also Jen's advise is really worth trying!

The way I did it was, "sneak" up behind him while he sits in a window, relaxed and watching the world outside, stroke him like usual, get your fingers in from side and open up, shoot the pill down his throat and close the mouth - then stroke his throat until you see him swallowing!

Good luck!

**Cataholic** · 01-24-2003, 08:48 AM

Tex used to sneak the pill back out..but, I just wait an extra 20 seconds, see him swallow, and things are fine. If you can get Basil's mouth open ok, I think just putting it back there is easier than the mushing /concealing tricks. Cats are pretty dang funny about smell...good luck!

**rosethecopycat** · 01-24-2003, 02:18 PM

So... Basil is a nawteekat.....

What I do is the pill shooter or throw down the throat method, then hold mouth closed and blow one puff in his face while rubbing the throat.

Then watch...

**shais_mom** · 01-24-2003, 11:42 PM

I have to give pills to Kylie frequently. At least once a week. My vet told me to put a little butter on it tilt her head back, pop open her mouth, put the pill in, close her mouth, and either blow on her nose which causes a swallowing reflex, or stroke her throat causing her to swallow. It sounds easy, but I agree that it isn't with a feisty cat!! Kylie doesn't like to get the pills. But she tolerates them now so I have cut down to popping the pill as far as it goes down her throat and either blowing on her nose or stroking her throat.

**smokey the elder** · 01-25-2003, 08:22 AM

I think medicating a cat has to become a routine. Smokey the Younger has an eye infection and three times a day it's time to play chase the cat and clean her eye and put meds in it. She's getting better about it.

Basil, stop being a nawteecat! Get better soon please.

**Nomilynn** · 01-25-2003, 12:50 PM

Oh Basil - don't you know they are for your own good!!!

Bassett is a horrible pill taker. I push the pill down her throat as far as possible, and then wait for her to swallow. Then I squirt some water or her antibiotics down there, forcing her to swallow more. That seems to work really well. Good luck!

**krazyaboutkatz** · 01-25-2003, 07:49 PM

Pepper is also a very bad pill taker. I've used the pill shooter in the past but it doesn't always work. I've also put the pill in cream cheese and that doesn't always work. Now I'm just putting the pill as far down his throat as I can with my hands and then I tilt his head up and stroke his neck to try to make him swallow. I wait several minutes and then open up his mouth to make sure that the pill is gone. Since he's on pills and liquid right now I give him the pills first and then the liquid to make sure that the pills are washed down. Good luck. Now be a good boy Basie and please take your pills for mommy.