Medicating a cat, hard??? Just plan ahead

When I started giving Peepers his medication for his heart in
December I thought it was going to be difficult. You all know the horror
stories about medicating your cat, and how it always seems to suggest that
getting your cat to take his medication is little short of human feline
warfare, with the cat having all the weapons.

I started by trying to figure out how to make it as comfortable and
easy for both of us.

First rule: Reduce the stress level by making it easy and fast.

Peepers is a slow eater and a browser and rarely eats more than a
third his wet food. His sister simply get it easy and if Peepers decides he
likes it, she just tells him to beat it and he leaves it for her and goes to
get some dry food or just to look out the windows or goes to sleep. Putting
the medication in his food even on those rare occasions when he actually
gets to eat it he would find it and avoid it because slow eating lets him
know exactly what he has in his mouth. Almost 98% of the time though Smudge
would probable gulp it down. Then I would have two problems Peepers
unmedicated and Smudge medicated.

The only solution to this is to give him it myself. Pills are too
easy to spit out and he would. I had liquid tuna flavored preparations made
to syringe it into him at least it is fast and not to stressfull. If I give
pills, he would soon figure out when to hide and he is really good at that
and he can stay hidden for very long times. She is pretty good at that. My
sister was over for three days in December and she got only a distant
glimpse of them for only a few minutes and then only on the third day.

Second rule: Know what your cat likes and give it to him REGULARLY
and only AFTER medicating.

For Peepers the best reward is to play with me on the other end of
the toy so I kept the wands handy for use as soon as I could put the
medication away.

The first time everthing went well, he was surprised, something that
wouldn't last and it took him a while to come out to play. Now that is odd.

The second time I tried to give him some I, who was still recovering
from a stay in the hospital for my heart attack, was chasing a cat and
pulling and tossing furniture away from him to expose his position. He
didn't want anything to do with it and it took even longer to find him
afterward to play.

Over the next month he got less and less skittish but I was still
forced to pick him up and take him into the bathroom and close the door. He
would leave at the first opportunity but the hiding periods were getting
short to nonexistent toward the end of that first month.

Over the next month he went from needing to be carried in to leading
me into the bathroom as soon as he saw me carrying the box with medication
and syringes in it. Although he clearly wanted to leave as soon as the door
closed and he still ran off up to five feet outside the bathroom before
waiting for me to come and get a toy. By now Smudge was getting in on
playtime and was enjoying this time too although she wanted whatever I was
giving Peepers because she could smell it on his breath.

Now sometimes Peepers will want to start the process early and will
go wait where the medication is kept and start meowing up to a half hour
early. When I get it he leads me into the bathroom. I close the door when
we are both in far enough and that will distract him long enough to check
out the door. He accepts but doesn't like that closed door. Meanwhile I
start getting the syringes ready while he checks out the bathroom nooks and
comes over regularly to interrupt me for petting. He likes petting best
when he can wrap around your foot and knead your feet while you pet him, its
a great stretching exercise. He will even come if I start getting the
syringes ready while he is napping.

After I give him his medication he rushes to the door to be let out
after I back him up enough to open the door. He sits at the door with his
nose probably only technically out of the bathroom while I clean the
syringes to put away. When I start to move he makes sure I pick out a toy
to play with before I can put the medication away.

Smudge is almost always sitting outside the door to check him out
and see if she can get some medication too then she follows us out to get a
toy.

Play time is about fifteen to twenty minutes - not a lot of time but
enough to make them both happy. Smudge has been muscling more and more into
playing time and has gone from maybe 25% of the time to 70% of the playing
time. Somewhere in the last 3 months Peepers has gone from his mad stampede
after the ribbon, feather, or whatever which scared Smudge to the periphery,
to being very lazy about playing with the toy. If you could look on, you
would see me moving around from sitting or laying cat to sitting or laying
cat with only their paws or mouths moving quickly.

I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count playtime )
to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring them off.
Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

in article , Larry Osborne at
wrote on 5/3/04 8:46 PM:

When I started giving Peepers his medication for his heart in
December I thought it was going to be difficult. You all know the horror
stories about medicating your cat, and how it always seems to suggest that
getting your cat to take his medication is little short of human feline
warfare, with the cat having all the weapons.

I started by trying to figure out how to make it as comfortable and
easy for both of us.

First rule: Reduce the stress level by making it easy and fast.

Peepers is a slow eater and a browser and rarely eats more than a
third his wet food. His sister simply get it easy and if Peepers decides he
likes it, she just tells him to beat it and he leaves it for her and goes to
get some dry food or just to look out the windows or goes to sleep. Putting
the medication in his food even on those rare occasions when he actually
gets to eat it he would find it and avoid it because slow eating lets him
know exactly what he has in his mouth. Almost 98% of the time though Smudge
would probable gulp it down. Then I would have two problems Peepers
unmedicated and Smudge medicated.

The only solution to this is to give him it myself. Pills are too
easy to spit out and he would. I had liquid tuna flavored preparations made
to syringe it into him at least it is fast and not to stressfull. If I give
pills, he would soon figure out when to hide and he is really good at that
and he can stay hidden for very long times. She is pretty good at that. My
sister was over for three days in December and she got only a distant
glimpse of them for only a few minutes and then only on the third day.

Second rule: Know what your cat likes and give it to him REGULARLY
and only AFTER medicating.

For Peepers the best reward is to play with me on the other end of
the toy so I kept the wands handy for use as soon as I could put the
medication away.

The first time everthing went well, he was surprised, something that
wouldn't last and it took him a while to come out to play. Now that is odd.

The second time I tried to give him some I, who was still recovering
from a stay in the hospital for my heart attack, was chasing a cat and
pulling and tossing furniture away from him to expose his position. He
didn't want anything to do with it and it took even longer to find him
afterward to play.

Over the next month he got less and less skittish but I was still
forced to pick him up and take him into the bathroom and close the door. He
would leave at the first opportunity but the hiding periods were getting
short to nonexistent toward the end of that first month.

Over the next month he went from needing to be carried in to leading
me into the bathroom as soon as he saw me carrying the box with medication
and syringes in it. Although he clearly wanted to leave as soon as the door
closed and he still ran off up to five feet outside the bathroom before
waiting for me to come and get a toy. By now Smudge was getting in on
playtime and was enjoying this time too although she wanted whatever I was
giving Peepers because she could smell it on his breath.

Now sometimes Peepers will want to start the process early and will
go wait where the medication is kept and start meowing up to a half hour
early. When I get it he leads me into the bathroom. I close the door when
we are both in far enough and that will distract him long enough to check
out the door. He accepts but doesn't like that closed door. Meanwhile I
start getting the syringes ready while he checks out the bathroom nooks and
comes over regularly to interrupt me for petting. He likes petting best
when he can wrap around your foot and knead your feet while you pet him, its
a great stretching exercise. He will even come if I start getting the
syringes ready while he is napping.

After I give him his medication he rushes to the door to be let out
after I back him up enough to open the door. He sits at the door with his
nose probably only technically out of the bathroom while I clean the
syringes to put away. When I start to move he makes sure I pick out a toy
to play with before I can put the medication away.

Smudge is almost always sitting outside the door to check him out
and see if she can get some medication too then she follows us out to get a
toy.

Play time is about fifteen to twenty minutes - not a lot of time but
enough to make them both happy. Smudge has been muscling more and more into
playing time and has gone from maybe 25% of the time to 70% of the playing
time. Somewhere in the last 3 months Peepers has gone from his mad stampede
after the ribbon, feather, or whatever which scared Smudge to the periphery,
to being very lazy about playing with the toy. If you could look on, you
would see me moving around from sitting or laying cat to sitting or laying
cat with only their paws or mouths moving quickly.

I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count playtime )
to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring them off.
Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?




Routine is your friend, no matter who does the training

in article , Larry Osborne at
wrote on 5/3/04 8:46 PM:

When I started giving Peepers his medication for his heart in
December I thought it was going to be difficult. You all know the horror
stories about medicating your cat, and how it always seems to suggest that
getting your cat to take his medication is little short of human feline
warfare, with the cat having all the weapons.

I started by trying to figure out how to make it as comfortable and
easy for both of us.

First rule: Reduce the stress level by making it easy and fast.

Peepers is a slow eater and a browser and rarely eats more than a
third his wet food. His sister simply get it easy and if Peepers decides he
likes it, she just tells him to beat it and he leaves it for her and goes to
get some dry food or just to look out the windows or goes to sleep. Putting
the medication in his food even on those rare occasions when he actually
gets to eat it he would find it and avoid it because slow eating lets him
know exactly what he has in his mouth. Almost 98% of the time though Smudge
would probable gulp it down. Then I would have two problems Peepers
unmedicated and Smudge medicated.

The only solution to this is to give him it myself. Pills are too
easy to spit out and he would. I had liquid tuna flavored preparations made
to syringe it into him at least it is fast and not to stressfull. If I give
pills, he would soon figure out when to hide and he is really good at that
and he can stay hidden for very long times. She is pretty good at that. My
sister was over for three days in December and she got only a distant
glimpse of them for only a few minutes and then only on the third day.

Second rule: Know what your cat likes and give it to him REGULARLY
and only AFTER medicating.

For Peepers the best reward is to play with me on the other end of
the toy so I kept the wands handy for use as soon as I could put the
medication away.

The first time everthing went well, he was surprised, something that
wouldn't last and it took him a while to come out to play. Now that is odd.

The second time I tried to give him some I, who was still recovering
from a stay in the hospital for my heart attack, was chasing a cat and
pulling and tossing furniture away from him to expose his position. He
didn't want anything to do with it and it took even longer to find him
afterward to play.

Over the next month he got less and less skittish but I was still
forced to pick him up and take him into the bathroom and close the door. He
would leave at the first opportunity but the hiding periods were getting
short to nonexistent toward the end of that first month.

Over the next month he went from needing to be carried in to leading
me into the bathroom as soon as he saw me carrying the box with medication
and syringes in it. Although he clearly wanted to leave as soon as the door
closed and he still ran off up to five feet outside the bathroom before
waiting for me to come and get a toy. By now Smudge was getting in on
playtime and was enjoying this time too although she wanted whatever I was
giving Peepers because she could smell it on his breath.

Now sometimes Peepers will want to start the process early and will
go wait where the medication is kept and start meowing up to a half hour
early. When I get it he leads me into the bathroom. I close the door when
we are both in far enough and that will distract him long enough to check
out the door. He accepts but doesn't like that closed door. Meanwhile I
start getting the syringes ready while he checks out the bathroom nooks and
comes over regularly to interrupt me for petting. He likes petting best
when he can wrap around your foot and knead your feet while you pet him, its
a great stretching exercise. He will even come if I start getting the
syringes ready while he is napping.

After I give him his medication he rushes to the door to be let out
after I back him up enough to open the door. He sits at the door with his
nose probably only technically out of the bathroom while I clean the
syringes to put away. When I start to move he makes sure I pick out a toy
to play with before I can put the medication away.

Smudge is almost always sitting outside the door to check him out
and see if she can get some medication too then she follows us out to get a
toy.

Play time is about fifteen to twenty minutes - not a lot of time but
enough to make them both happy. Smudge has been muscling more and more into
playing time and has gone from maybe 25% of the time to 70% of the playing
time. Somewhere in the last 3 months Peepers has gone from his mad stampede
after the ribbon, feather, or whatever which scared Smudge to the periphery,
to being very lazy about playing with the toy. If you could look on, you
would see me moving around from sitting or laying cat to sitting or laying
cat with only their paws or mouths moving quickly.

I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count playtime )
to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring them off.
Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?




Routine is your friend, no matter who does the training

"Larry Osborne" dumped this in
on 03 May 2004:


I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count
playtime ) to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes
knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring
them off. Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

Good job!! I think it is mutual training. Shadow needs meds 2x per day
and it isn't stressful at all. This has been going on for almost 2 years
now and at first he was running when I said "medicine time".. not running
away, but running for the kitchen because Shadow's reward is some cooked
chicken. Not much; he's overweight and needs extra food like a hole in
the head. But I include that treat into his overall daily intake. Now he
isn't as anxious for that treat, but still doesn't fight me when it is
med time. Shadow's are all "dry" meds (pills, powder, or capsules) and I
just put the dry stuff in empty gelcaps and give him a dose of water
afterwards. I don't trust mixing the med in food for the same reason you
don't. I lost a cat just over 2 years ago (my beloved Marley) and I'm
convinced it was because he spit out his meds (I'd find them later on the
floor when I thought he swallowed) and I'm not going to lose another one
to my mistakes. He doesn't mind the meds, and QOL isn't compromised by
stressed-out pill giving. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing
your technique.

--
Cheryl

"Larry Osborne" dumped this in
on 03 May 2004:


I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count
playtime ) to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes
knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring
them off. Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

Good job!! I think it is mutual training. Shadow needs meds 2x per day
and it isn't stressful at all. This has been going on for almost 2 years
now and at first he was running when I said "medicine time".. not running
away, but running for the kitchen because Shadow's reward is some cooked
chicken. Not much; he's overweight and needs extra food like a hole in
the head. But I include that treat into his overall daily intake. Now he
isn't as anxious for that treat, but still doesn't fight me when it is
med time. Shadow's are all "dry" meds (pills, powder, or capsules) and I
just put the dry stuff in empty gelcaps and give him a dose of water
afterwards. I don't trust mixing the med in food for the same reason you
don't. I lost a cat just over 2 years ago (my beloved Marley) and I'm
convinced it was because he spit out his meds (I'd find them later on the
floor when I thought he swallowed) and I'm not going to lose another one
to my mistakes. He doesn't mind the meds, and QOL isn't compromised by
stressed-out pill giving. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing
your technique.

--
Cheryl

Yeah I agree its not a good Idea to put it in food but
I just popped it down Henri's throat he was easy
to give stuff to though I dont know how Wilson would go I hope I never have
to find out. Only one thing worries
me, I was told by a vet never to use a syringe to pump
fluid down a cats throat, but if you must then you should
dribble it slowly down the side, and never just straight
down Just thought I'd mention that Jean.P.
Cheryl wrote in message
...
"Larry Osborne" dumped this in
on 03 May 2004:


I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count
playtime ) to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes
knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring
them off. Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

Good job!! I think it is mutual training. Shadow needs meds 2x per day
and it isn't stressful at all. This has been going on for almost 2 years
now and at first he was running when I said "medicine time".. not running
away, but running for the kitchen because Shadow's reward is some cooked
chicken. Not much; he's overweight and needs extra food like a hole in
the head. But I include that treat into his overall daily intake. Now he
isn't as anxious for that treat, but still doesn't fight me when it is
med time. Shadow's are all "dry" meds (pills, powder, or capsules) and I
just put the dry stuff in empty gelcaps and give him a dose of water
afterwards. I don't trust mixing the med in food for the same reason you
don't. I lost a cat just over 2 years ago (my beloved Marley) and I'm
convinced it was because he spit out his meds (I'd find them later on the
floor when I thought he swallowed) and I'm not going to lose another one
to my mistakes. He doesn't mind the meds, and QOL isn't compromised by
stressed-out pill giving. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing
your technique.

--
Cheryl

Yeah I agree its not a good Idea to put it in food but
I just popped it down Henri's throat he was easy
to give stuff to though I dont know how Wilson would go I hope I never have
to find out. Only one thing worries
me, I was told by a vet never to use a syringe to pump
fluid down a cats throat, but if you must then you should
dribble it slowly down the side, and never just straight
down Just thought I'd mention that Jean.P.
Cheryl wrote in message
...
"Larry Osborne" dumped this in
on 03 May 2004:


I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count
playtime ) to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes
knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring
them off. Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

Good job!! I think it is mutual training. Shadow needs meds 2x per day
and it isn't stressful at all. This has been going on for almost 2 years
now and at first he was running when I said "medicine time".. not running
away, but running for the kitchen because Shadow's reward is some cooked
chicken. Not much; he's overweight and needs extra food like a hole in
the head. But I include that treat into his overall daily intake. Now he
isn't as anxious for that treat, but still doesn't fight me when it is
med time. Shadow's are all "dry" meds (pills, powder, or capsules) and I
just put the dry stuff in empty gelcaps and give him a dose of water
afterwards. I don't trust mixing the med in food for the same reason you
don't. I lost a cat just over 2 years ago (my beloved Marley) and I'm
convinced it was because he spit out his meds (I'd find them later on the
floor when I thought he swallowed) and I'm not going to lose another one
to my mistakes. He doesn't mind the meds, and QOL isn't compromised by
stressed-out pill giving. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing
your technique.

--
Cheryl

I can see where using a syringe could be a problem, especially if you're
pumping in several ml of medication. My vet has never given me any special
warning about using syringes though. I just aim to put it across his
tongue and I'm only putting in a 1 ml dose and a .5 ml dose so there is
little danger of enough going in to his windpipe and causing trouble that
way. Certainly I've never had him cough after his doses.

The biggest problem I have occurs when he moves just as I start to push it
in. On those, fortunately rare, occasions some of it ends up on his chin
or the side of his face and he get the rest of the dose by cleaning himself.

Larry Osborne



"JP Hobbs" jphobbsREMOVE THIS @dodo.com.au wrote in message
...
Yeah I agree its not a good Idea to put it in food but
I just popped it down Henri's throat he was easy
to give stuff to though I dont know how Wilson would go I hope I never
have
to find out. Only one thing worries
me, I was told by a vet never to use a syringe to pump
fluid down a cats throat, but if you must then you should
dribble it slowly down the side, and never just straight
down Just thought I'd mention that Jean.P.
Cheryl wrote in message
...
"Larry Osborne" dumped this in
on 03 May 2004:


I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count
playtime ) to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes
knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring
them off. Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

Good job!! I think it is mutual training. Shadow needs meds 2x per day
and it isn't stressful at all. This has been going on for almost 2 years
now and at first he was running when I said "medicine time".. not
running
away, but running for the kitchen because Shadow's reward is some cooked
chicken. Not much; he's overweight and needs extra food like a hole in
the head. But I include that treat into his overall daily intake. Now he
isn't as anxious for that treat, but still doesn't fight me when it is
med time. Shadow's are all "dry" meds (pills, powder, or capsules) and I
just put the dry stuff in empty gelcaps and give him a dose of water
afterwards. I don't trust mixing the med in food for the same reason you
don't. I lost a cat just over 2 years ago (my beloved Marley) and I'm
convinced it was because he spit out his meds (I'd find them later on
the
floor when I thought he swallowed) and I'm not going to lose another one
to my mistakes. He doesn't mind the meds, and QOL isn't compromised by
stressed-out pill giving. Keep up the good work and thank you for
sharing
your technique.

--
Cheryl

I can see where using a syringe could be a problem, especially if you're
pumping in several ml of medication. My vet has never given me any special
warning about using syringes though. I just aim to put it across his
tongue and I'm only putting in a 1 ml dose and a .5 ml dose so there is
little danger of enough going in to his windpipe and causing trouble that
way. Certainly I've never had him cough after his doses.

The biggest problem I have occurs when he moves just as I start to push it
in. On those, fortunately rare, occasions some of it ends up on his chin
or the side of his face and he get the rest of the dose by cleaning himself.

Larry Osborne



"JP Hobbs" jphobbsREMOVE THIS @dodo.com.au wrote in message
...
Yeah I agree its not a good Idea to put it in food but
I just popped it down Henri's throat he was easy
to give stuff to though I dont know how Wilson would go I hope I never
have
to find out. Only one thing worries
me, I was told by a vet never to use a syringe to pump
fluid down a cats throat, but if you must then you should
dribble it slowly down the side, and never just straight
down Just thought I'd mention that Jean.P.
Cheryl wrote in message
...
"Larry Osborne" dumped this in
on 03 May 2004:


I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count
playtime ) to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes
knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring
them off. Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

Good job!! I think it is mutual training. Shadow needs meds 2x per day
and it isn't stressful at all. This has been going on for almost 2 years
now and at first he was running when I said "medicine time".. not
running
away, but running for the kitchen because Shadow's reward is some cooked
chicken. Not much; he's overweight and needs extra food like a hole in
the head. But I include that treat into his overall daily intake. Now he
isn't as anxious for that treat, but still doesn't fight me when it is
med time. Shadow's are all "dry" meds (pills, powder, or capsules) and I
just put the dry stuff in empty gelcaps and give him a dose of water
afterwards. I don't trust mixing the med in food for the same reason you
don't. I lost a cat just over 2 years ago (my beloved Marley) and I'm
convinced it was because he spit out his meds (I'd find them later on
the
floor when I thought he swallowed) and I'm not going to lose another one
to my mistakes. He doesn't mind the meds, and QOL isn't compromised by
stressed-out pill giving. Keep up the good work and thank you for
sharing
your technique.

--
Cheryl

I think it just depends on the cat and you won't know until you try. Jazz is
a nasty cat, but I seem to be able to do stuff to him that he would kill
other people for. I medicate him by just opening his mouth, popping the pill
inside and shutting it and massaging his throat. I do it very quickly, he
doesn't have time to even wonder what the hell is going on. And he will let
me brush his teeth.
I tried to put some meds in his food once and he very delicately picked it
out and ate around it. Good luck on pilling your furbaby.
Jazz & his mama

--

Irulan
from the stars we came, to the stars we return
from now until the end of time


"JP Hobbs" jphobbsREMOVE THIS @dodo.com.au wrote in message
...
Yeah I agree its not a good Idea to put it in food but
I just popped it down Henri's throat he was easy
to give stuff to though I dont know how Wilson would go I hope I never
have
to find out. Only one thing worries
me, I was told by a vet never to use a syringe to pump
fluid down a cats throat, but if you must then you should
dribble it slowly down the side, and never just straight
down Just thought I'd mention that Jean.P.
Cheryl wrote in message
...
"Larry Osborne" dumped this in
on 03 May 2004:


I've gotten to where I want to be. Peepers is getting his
medication and I am not chasing him around ( if you don't count
playtime ) to see that it is done. Much easier on both of us.

Now who said medicating a cat is difficult. It only takes
knowing
what your cats like. Finding a way to deliver it without scaring
them off. Having the patience on your part to see that it is done.

Now the real question; Who trained whom?

Good job!! I think it is mutual training. Shadow needs meds 2x per day
and it isn't stressful at all. This has been going on for almost 2 years
now and at first he was running when I said "medicine time".. not
running
away, but running for the kitchen because Shadow's reward is some cooked
chicken. Not much; he's overweight and needs extra food like a hole in
the head. But I include that treat into his overall daily intake. Now he
isn't as anxious for that treat, but still doesn't fight me when it is
med time. Shadow's are all "dry" meds (pills, powder, or capsules) and I
just put the dry stuff in empty gelcaps and give him a dose of water
afterwards. I don't trust mixing the med in food for the same reason you
don't. I lost a cat just over 2 years ago (my beloved Marley) and I'm
convinced it was because he spit out his meds (I'd find them later on
the
floor when I thought he swallowed) and I'm not going to lose another one
to my mistakes. He doesn't mind the meds, and QOL isn't compromised by
stressed-out pill giving. Keep up the good work and thank you for
sharing
your technique.

--
Cheryl