Cat won't take tablets anymore

[parkrunner1977]

Morning, my 15 yo cat has been prescribed a course of antibiotic tablets and I cannot get them into him without a massive fight each time. He always use to take them wrapped in a piece of ham or chicken but that isn't working anymore.

The vet has given me different tabs that are supposedly more palatable but not to my boy they aren't! I've tried using a pill popper as well but he gets so stressed with the manhandling needed that I don't want to keep putting him through it. I even tried soaking them in tuna juice and mixing in with tuna chunks which he loves but he seemingly still knows they are there so won't eat it.

I'm at my wits end and will go back to the vet again but wanted to see if anyone here has any other suggestions first?? Many thanks.

I was in the same boat once our old boy got older, even tried a pestle and mortar to crush them up and mix with lik-e-lix but the little sod still knew! The only alternative now is that he has an injection at the vet. It's not as effective as tablets but it does work and at least he's getting the meds.

I had to get nine pills down my late cat. I used a pill syringe thing.

I bought some stuff called Easypill, it's like a sort of soft stuff that you wrap the pill in and looks like the cat biscuits. It's fooled my lot!😺

Pill putty is great. It looks and smells meaty and is soft enough to wrap he tablet inside. Works every time with my cat who is an awkward sod at the best of times!!

Thanks for the Pill putty recommendation, I hadn't heard of that before so will definitely keep in mind for the future. For now though he will be going back the vet for an antibiotic injection which lasts two weeks. Hopefully that will sort him out.

Lik-E-Lix definitely works for us but I'll keep that putty in mind

Crushed in licky lix currently works for us, but I’ve also heard good things about the pill putty. Good luck; we have also had to have the long acting injection for one of ours as well!

You can get meaty sticks for cats (forget the name) in Aldi, also webbox do similar, they are soft enough to put tablets in, you may have to halve/quarter the tablets to get them to fit.
Only £1.00 for a strip, so much cheaper than the putty.
My cats will take meds no problem using them.

Pictured below

Thanks for the suggestion. I already tried the treat stick option as he loves those normally, and using those has worked previously. Unfortunately he can smell whatever is in the tablets and wouldn't even lick when offered to him. He can be a real stubborn one when he wants!

Can you get liver paté? I live in Germany where this is easily available in supermarkets (for humans) and it works a treat for my cat. I just smother it around whatever pill and then feed it.

Another vote for Easypill Cat - wonderful stuff, I get mine from the vet