How To Get The Cat To Eat a Worming Powder?

[West Ender]

I've given up on pills. Having tried crushing them to add to food (cat delicately drops little lumps on carpet beside dish) and having tried forcing them down cat's throat (what a pantomime) I decided, this time, to use granules.

"Sprinkle on the cat's food", said the blurb on the packet. Are they joking? Our Maddie can detect one granule in 4 oz. of cat food and no way José is she going to eat it. I've got to give her 2 sachets of the stuff. So far I've mixed ½ a sachet in her supper and she's nibbling round the granuled bits and looking at me as though I've given her strychnine.

It was so easy with the dog. I used to throw the pill in the air and say, "Catch," and Jet, who thought it was a choc drop, would catch it, swallow it and come back for more. I've had cats all my life and I'm still useless at worming them. Any tips please?

[katex]

Know what you mean Westender .. I could never get my cats to take them in any form. Luckily, I have a daughter, who is a nurse, and she used to get them between her knees, facing outwards .. force open their jaw,pop in the pill right to the back, hold the mouth shut and then gently rub the oesophagus downwards, 'til the cat swallowed. Seemed to work a treat.

[emamum]

i dont remember being taught that in my first aid training? maybe time to go for a refresher?

[entwisi]

wrap it in a bit of meat (mince etc)

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by katex

Know what you mean Westender .. I could never get my cats to take them in any form. Luckily, I have a daughter, who is a nurse, and she used to get them between her knees, facing outwards .. force open their jaw,pop in the pill right to the back, hold the mouth shut and then gently rub the oesophagus downwards, 'til the cat swallowed. Seemed to work a treat.

That's exactly the way we do it with our cat, Katex.

It's always worked for us.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by katex

get them between her knees, facing outwards .. force open their jaw,pop in the pill right to the back, hold the mouth shut and then gently rub the oesophagus downwards, 'til the cat swallowed. Seemed to work a treat.

That is what I used to do with our cat when we ere kids. I think Rhonda does the same with the mangy flea bag the kids have now

[WillowTheWhisp]

I can sympathise - we've been through the same with our two cats. Whoever thought of the idea of sprinkling something on their food obviously never had a cat!

Here is the correct way to give a cat a pill:

1) Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3) Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call friend.

6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get friend to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down, remove ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered china figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8) Wrap cat in large towel and get friend to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9) Check label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to friend's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10) Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12) Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.

13) Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, hold cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet of steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14) Get friend to drive you to A & E, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15) Arrange for RSPCA to collect cat. Ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

[West Ender]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

This cat of ours has been known to go through the oesophagus massage thingy and apparently swallow the pill only to spit it out, all wet and slimy, over an hour later.

Sod it, if she's got worms - she's got worms.

[BLACKBURN RAVER]

Originally Posted by katex

Know what you mean Westender .. I could never get my cats to take them in any form. Luckily, I have a daughter, who is a nurse, and she used to get them between her knees, facing outwards .. force open their jaw,pop in the pill right to the back, hold the mouth shut and then gently rub the oesophagus downwards, 'til the cat swallowed. Seemed to work a treat.

is she mad ( in the nicest poss way)..

if i did that with any of my two i would be minus a finger or two and would seriously look like i do a lot of self harming...

my suggestion is buy a dog !!!!....

[Eric]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I can sympathise - we've been through the same with our two cats. Whoever thought of the idea of sprinkling something on their food obviously never had a cat!

Here is the correct way to give a cat a pill:

1) Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3) Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call friend.

6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get friend to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down, remove ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered china figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8) Wrap cat in large towel and get friend to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9) Check label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to friend's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10) Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12) Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.

13) Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, hold cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet of steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14) Get friend to drive you to A & E, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15) Arrange for RSPCA to collect cat. Ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

Exactly right, hon. This is the only way to do it. I thought everyone knew this. People unaware of these simple procedures should not be allowed to be owned by a cat. Remember cats were once worshipped as gods; cats have never forgotten this.

[katex]

Originally Posted by BLACKBURN RAVER

is she mad ( in the nicest poss way)..

if i did that with any of my two i would be minus a finger or two and would seriously look like i do a lot of self harming...

my suggestion is buy a dog !!!!....

LOL .. well, our NHS trained nurses are the best in the world ya' know .. tough, resilient and determined (the latter being our female British character ).. so this exercise a piece of cake..

[LYNX1]

When I had a cat I tried all of the above methods.........none worked of course, have no problem now I have mac (my dog) he trusts me implicitly and I put the tabs in his food and he usually scoffs it all........or could be he is a greedy little sod.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by katex

LOL .. well, our NHS trained nurses are the best in the world ya' know

I did not know that, not sure I agree either. Maybe it should be the topic of a new thread "List something you have seen a Nurse or Doctor doing incorrectly while in/visiting Hospital". I am sure it would make for some interesting if not worrying posts.

[carl hurles]

yu could sprinkle the powder in some milk and stir it the cat shouldnt beable to smell it

[West Ender]

Originally Posted by carl hurles

yu could sprinkle the powder in some milk and stir it the cat shouldnt beable to smell it

Unfortunately, Carl, I've got one of those odd cats that doesn't like milk.