Cats spitting out tablets - help

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My cats have become very adept at pretending to swallow any tablets, but in fact holding them in their mouth then spitting them out some minutes later.
I need to give them worming tablets and its becoming increasingly hard. They also refuse to touch food which has crushed up tablets in it.

I've always had cats and never had any problem giving tablets in the past and one of our 3 will swallow the tablets but the other two are an absolute nightmare.

Does anybody have any helpful hints as they're hunters and eat their prey (mice mainly) so definitely need worming regularly.

We use a spot on wormer.

We also use a spot on wormer

our breeder always suggests putting it into their mouths and blowing into their mouth lightly to encourage them to swallow, has always worked well for ours!

Do all this quickly - the element of surprise works!

Trap them between your legs, tilt their head right back, open their mouth, chuck pill right down the back of their throat and hold their mouth shut for a while. Supposedly when they lick their nose they’ve swallowed but some little swines can pretend well.

I have a few sneaky cats and this all works with them. If you have a difficult cat, wrap them in a blanket burrito with all claws trapped.

We already use Advocate which covers most worms but doesn't cover all so was using Drontal tablets as well.

Can you get separate spot on wormers?

Just asking as one of our boys had worms 2 years ago despite being in advocate which is why I try to give them the additional wormers on top of giving advocate. They eat bloody everything they catch so really need the protection.

I used to get Feline Greenies pill pockets on Amazon for my old cat he took a tablet daily for thyroid problems. They worked for him. There are other brands also. Just pop the tablet in and sort of mould the pocket around them.

This is what I do now! As I said, I've had cats for years, but the current ones are sneaky as hell.

If you put some butter on the pill it tends to slide down easier.

This sounds a great idea. Will go order some and give it a go.

I put the cat on the kitchen counter, left arm round her back and holding her chest to turn her face towards me. Tablet between finger and thumb of right hand, use finger to tipe her head back and poke the side of the mouth open, pop the tablet in and immediately use my thumb just under her chin to keep her head tipped back and mouth shut till she has swallowed. I also have a dish of dreamies on hand and stick that under her mouth so she eats them and more swallowing. This works most of the time. At least on the counter you can see and retrieve it if they do spit them out.

Would crushing the tablets into a lick-e-lix work?

We wrap cat in a towel, chuck pill in and wait for the nose-lick. This has never failed, however our cat is not very bright.

Yes a spot on wormer that advantage wouldn’t cover. Profender.
Plus use a pill popper. Wrap cat in towel or hold between your knees on the floor. Drop of water in pill popper before you put the pill in. Tip head up. Rub throat.
But I would still rather use the profender!

Mould raw mince around the tablet.

Mine get profender every 6 months and that catches the worms not covered by the stronghold plus that they get monthly for fleas/worms

Similar to a suggestion above. Once the pill is your cat's mouth and you've clamped their mouth shut, suddenly blow on their nose. The element of surprise often causes a reflex to swallow.
Or crush the pill, mix with a little water and syringe it in.

We use frontline spot on wormer every 4 weeks. We have three very effective hunters!

One was on antibiotics recently and took them fine crushed up onto a lik-e-lix.

Use a proper pill giver. Deposits it at very back of tongue. Buster soft tip pill giver is good.

Crushed into lick ee licks worked for ours. I did have to be sneaky, crush a tiny bit, hide and then gradually increased the amount. I’ve also crushed pills into marmite and stuck it on a paw!

I use Pill putty. It smells meaty is sticky. You push the pill inside and mould it around it. Works every time forr his worming tablet.

I forgot to add we play a game. I break a chew stick up into about 10 pieces and throw one on the floor. He chases it and eats it. After 3 or 4 more pieces I throw the pill in the putty. He's so into the game by this time, that he gobbles it up without realising. Job done.

This. They love them.

thanks everybody, some great ideas and I've just ordered feline greenies as a start. Much appreciated

Hairball paste is something else you can hide them / crush them in .

I wrap the tablet up in a slice of ham. The only way mine will take a tablet.