I have always been amazed at people who would take a big bite of some food (or gulp of drink) only to discover it was something way too hot/spicy/distasteful etc. Perhaps it is because I was a picky eater as a child, but I have never not taken a small sample of the food, or not surreptitiously sniffed at it before putting anything in my mouth. That's not to say I haven't been caught off guard by an aftertaste, or chunk of too hot potato, or a burning from a chili, but at least I have never staggered around helplessly feeling as if I was dying. My mother once, when sushi was still a very new experience, covered her piece of whatever it was with a generous slather of wasabi. She was warned by my brother, but it was too late ("oh, I like horseradish") ... we all watched in horror as her face turned seven shades of red and the tears streamed. It may have been the only time I ever saw her drink beer.
You have all seen that piece about how to give a cat a pill. Abby was due for the second of her 1/4 appetite stimulant pill on Sunday night. A teeny, tiny, itty, bitty pill was already quartered with the first quarter given to her by the vet before she was fully awake from the sedation. We all knew it would be tough, but with her absolute love of yoghourt, I thought this minuscule thing could be crushed and stirred into the yoghourt. I put the crushed pill quarter into the bottom half of the container and gave it a little stir. Nope. Not interested. She just walked away. I thought maybe there was too much fruit left, so last night we tried again. I even gave up the whole 125g snack sized French Vanilla Activia yoghourt for the cause. Nothing doing. She came running and looked at it and walked around the container. She sniffed it. She very hesitantly put her tongue close to it and took a tentative tiny lap. And spent several seconds trying to get it off her tongue. She pawed and moved the container around the floor and walked around it again... I took a spoonful and put it in a saucer, hoping she would think it was something new... not a chance. I even tried tasting it myself, wondering what kind of reaction I would have (but then, I am a little weightier than a cat, any cat. household cat, that is). Everything tasted as I would have expected it should. I tried spooning it into her. I tried spreading it on her face for her to lick off. She hadn't eaten anything all day, so I was getting a little worried. She knew it was yoghourt. She knew she liked it, but no way was she going to dive in and lap it up.
Today, I gave her a my finished yoghourt bowl, without any pill fragments... all gone in seconds.
Been there, done that - with five cats. Sometimes you just have to "sit" on them open their mouths and shove it far enough in that they have to swallow.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
Cats are very hard to fool. I hope I never have to give my cat a pill, but I would try the force down the throat method with mittens on. It will save you some scratches, but it will work.
ReplyDeleteRascals aren't they! If you need to medicate your cat, better putting a pair of gloves on and shoving the tablet right to the back of the throat like you would with a dog. Close the jaws together and they have no option but to swallow. They will forgive you. Honest!
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
There is nothing for it, you'll have to push it between two teeth, hold her jaws closed and stroke her throat.
ReplyDeleteIt works with my dog.
But with a cat? Who am I kidding, certainly not a cat.
I know what you mean about 'careful' eating. I never trust any first bite of any food. And sniffing it first is my preferred way of dealing with it.
Awful manners.
Who says animals don't understand!!?? Not me...they are so smart! You can't get anything by them...especially a pill!!
ReplyDeleteHugs
SueAnn
I saw a funny doe once of a chimp being given a pill in mashed up banana. He mashed the wad flat on the inner surface of his lower lip, then stuck the lip way out so he could see what was in it, then picked the pill out and threw it down before swallowing the banana.
ReplyDeleteIf there's one thing a cat can smell from a mile away it's a trick!
ReplyDeleteThey are smart for sure, you can't get nothing over on them. hugs.
ReplyDeleteThey know...they just know.
ReplyDeleteThere's a device called a pill popper...ask your vet about it. It's kind of a soft syringe into which you place the pill and then shoot into the back of the cat's throat. You have to wrap the sweet little kitty (haha) very well with a blanket (straightjacket), set her on your lap with her facing out, squeeze open her lethal jaws and just pop that sucker in. Then hold her mouth closed and stroke her throat. Did I say that you must have her securely wrapped? Good luck with that.
Oh, yeah, I forgot something...good luck catching her next time for this process. :p
ReplyDeleteSounds like your cat eats yogurt fine whereas that pill seems to be more of an appetite suppressor instead of a stimulant. Maybe just keep giving her yogurt on everything.
ReplyDeleteShe can probably smell it. Although I wouldn't really know. Also, I'm one of those who eat first before thinking, hence, I tend to always eat too hot/spicy/etc. food.
ReplyDeletehttp://ficklecattle.blogspot.com/
Some cats are easier to pill than others. Barney so loved being in my lap that he seemed disappointed that there was not another pill for him to take. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteCats are so smart. Our cat growing up, Fluffer, wouldn't take her pills either. So,we crushed them and put them in her cat food. She licked and licked and we were thrilled we'd tricked her. Until -- she got to the bottom and we could see that she'd left every single little, tiny bit of pill in the bottom of the bowl! Smart!
ReplyDeleteI like your comment on Maori's sticking their tongues out at lesley's site. I must tell my Maori friends. I spent two sat's ago sleeping in a Maori Marae.
ReplyDeleteHubby did it one time too and I almost call emergency he can't breath I panicked. Since then he avoid wasabi and he warned everybody to watched out that "green stuff" hehehe. But he still loves sushi and sashimi except that "green stuff". ^_^
ReplyDeleteSky Watch