At the zoo we used Rimadyl (generic name carprofen) in cats all the time. We credit the drug with giving our puma, Jake, at least two more years of quality life than he would have had otherwise. Jake suffered from very bad arthritis, mostly in his lumbar spine. The drug isn't all that new, we used it for at least two years before I left, and I've been gone over a year.

We also used the drug in sheep, goats, coyotes and birds with no ill effects.

My vet had me give it to one of my kittens when he injured his shoulder. I ground the caplets up and mixed them with water. The suspension tended to precipitate out fast, so I always shook well before drawing up his dose. After a week on the drug he was feeling better and I was able to stop giving it. He had no ill effects.

Unless your cat has a reaction to the drug - some cats are very sensitive to medications - he should be AOK and happy for the pain relief.

Just check your milligrams. The carprofen caplets we used at the zoo were 100 mgs, meaning half a caplet would be 50 mgs. That seems kind of a hefty dose for a cat, I'm thinking maybe 12.5 mg would be more in line. If they are 25 mg caplets then your dosing is good to go!

It is a very good drug, and I never saw an animal have a reaction to it, even some of the tiny ducks that I gave it to.