to insist DP gives the cat its next antibitoic capsule

[ontheedgeofwhatever]

cat is on antibiotics with strict instructions from vet they are not to be crushed and must be given whole twice a day. They are capsules. I've managed to give 2 so far and have been bitten, scratched, found capsule spat out outside back door and had to start again with it all soggy. I've tried wrapping cat in towel, putting pill in mouth, dripping a little bit of water down with a syringe then holding mouth shut and stroking throat, wrapping in ham, covering in butter, force feeding and begging but both times its taken me in excess of 30 minutes to feed bl**dy cat their medicine and as I say on one occassion I had to start again with soggy capsule - another 20 minutes.

I've told DP I'm not doing it without help - its a four handed job IMHO and he says I'm being defeatist. AIBU to insist HE does it by himself this evening? while I watch and laugh

OGWT

My mum's cat used to foam at the mouth, reducing any pill to a coloured froth so it was totally impossible to reuse.

Well, your DH still needs to do it anyway given his comments ()but, easiest way to give a cat a pill is:

Cradle cat as though it were a baby - use a towel if they are of the 'dig full set of claws into arms variety'
Find the gap at the very back of the jaw, shove pill in
Hold jaw closed until they swallow
Feed treat
Leave cat down to get v.unhappy at losing the argument go and have a nice groom

Works for all but the largest of pills and no faff about trying to get the mouth to open.

I dunno about cats, but I am still waiting for the scars and bruises to heal after dealing with a tantrumming toddler.

Sympathies! Some cats are easier than others! I recommend someone standing behind the cat holding both front legs tightly (the slashing bits) while the other pulls the top jaw back and deftly pushes the capsule as far back as possible- that way they don't taste it! But easier with 2, so your DH will need to man up

OR..get a 2 week injection from your vet (convenia). bit pricier, but no shredded fingertips. There are other injections which last 2-3 days, so do mean manipulating cat into basket again, but over in seconds.
Meanwhile, read this- just to make you smile

Well DP decided to show me how it was done last night and it was hysterical. He hid pill in hand, advanced upon and cradled cat, opened its mouth very gently dropped in pill, closed mouth stroked throat gave satisified smile and released cat who immediately raced off, spat pill out on patio, jumped on garden wall and sat there giggling. DP lured him down with cat treat, retrieved pill and cat and tried again. He got bitten twice, scratched and spat at before finally managing to force mouth open and shove damp capsule back in mouth. Cat spat it out again this time onto DPs trousers. Cat was wrapped in towel, mouth opened again, dp bitten again, cat slipped out of towel scratched dp again and retreated to garden wall again and refused to come down for another half hour.

DP asked me to help him give cat its pill. Today he took time off took cat to vet and arranged the injection

DP defeatist - surely not

How smug was the grin on your face, eh?

Please tell me you told him he was being defeatist

Oh dear, poor man.

Did you take photos?

Now why would I do a thing like that Hecate? Of course I did and he responded that he was not being defeatist but being logical by finding another solution - after all cat got medication so cat is defeated NOT dp

this thread made me laugh and snort wine onto my screen.

Little buggers cats - only worse creatures I've experienced for taking pills are sheep, just when you thought they'd swallowed the damn worming pill you'd hear 'ptuh' behind you and 15 pills lying in the grass :)

My vet still (after 4 years) asks if I want antibiotic pills or the two week injection.

Well, you know my cats, what do you reckon Dr Genius????

Best one was the antibiotic eye cream to be squeezed in the cats eye thrice daily - oh, the fun me and ex p had trying to get that done (him trying to drip it in the cats eye from aprroximately 4 miles away was never a good plan)

For tablets I found after much trial and error that tuna pate works a treat (easy to roll around the pill and rarely detected by my cats due to greed and being hidden right in the middle of the pate ball)

YwereNBU. But you have established that now.

Brings back fond memories of my old kitty.

This is going to sound gross, and I'll probably get flamed for animal cruelty, but I used to pry jaws open, chuck tablet to back of throat, then let jaws close. As soon as jaws close, spit on your finger and wipe on cats nose. Cat obviously immediately licks nose to remove offending spit, and also inadvertently swallows tablet. Job done