How to get cat to take worm tablet

SHAKESPEARE_SIS

The wee cat is due to take a worm tablet. The Problem is that if its crushed up and added to his food, he can spot this immediately and won't eat the food. Is this a common problem and are there any tried and tested ways to get around it?

Arcadian

I give mine their worm tablets direct. What brand are you using?

I usually kneel on the floor with the cat between my knees, use one hand to open the mouth and pop the pill in with the other. If your cat is scratchy you can get someone to hold it in a sitting position on a counter top or table, the way you would in a vets, while you give it the pill.

jasonb

Another option to try is Stronghold.

It's a small vial of liquid that you put on the back of the cat's neck. It takes care of fleas and worms. I'd recommend holding the cat in place between your knees as suggested, and using your fingers to expose some skin on the back of the neck before using the drops.

The cat won't like it ( just like they don't like taking pills ) but I find it easier than trying to put a pill in a mouth!

Jason.

RobEire

SHAKESPEARE_SIS wrote:

The wee cat is due to take a worm tablet. The Problem is that if its crushed up and added to his food, he can spot this immediately and won't eat the food. Is this a common problem and are there any tried and tested ways to get around it?

Wrestle cat to the ground, force open mouth, tip tablet to the back of throat, hold mouth shut and hope. Usually works first time, but some retries might be required.

Manny7

If you have any soft treats, squish it in there and give it to them, that normally works better than putting it in regular food. I think you can even find treats with pre-made holes specifically for that

Alun

When giving cats pills, I usually put my hand on it's head with my thumb and forefinger in a sort of pincer shape around it's top jaw. If you then rotate your hand backwards, so that it's head tips back, it's mouth will open automatically. Drop pill in, trying to make sure it doesn't stick to the sides of it's mouth, then let it close it's mouth and hold your hand around it's jaws to stop it spitting the pill out. Massage just under the chin until it makes a swallowing motion (usually sticks it's tongue out at the same time). Hopefully it will have swallowed it, otherwise repeat above procedure until it does

Actually, I find the Drontal worming tablets quite easy to give, precisely because they're so big. The smaller tablets (those little pink antibiotics are a PITA) are worse, because if your aim isn't too good, they stick to it's tongue, or the side of it's mouth rather than going down it's throat, and you just know you're in for a rouh time

Alun

Manny7 wrote:

If you have any soft treats, squish it in there and give it to them, that normally works better than putting it in regular food. I think you can even find treats with pre-made holes specifically for that

I've never had that one work ... they eat the treat and leave the pill behind. Same goes for hiding minute pill in large bowl of food ... the result is one empty food bowl with minute pill still in bowl

Alun

jasonb wrote:

Another option to try is Stronghold.

Only problem with that is that it isn't effective against tapeworm, only roundworm.

Manny7

Alun wrote:

I've never had that one work ... they eat the treat and leave the pill behind. Same goes for hiding minute pill in large bowl of food ... the result is one empty food bowl with minute pill still in bowl

It works with one of ours, we used to do it with the other one too until it turned out that she ate anything, including pills. In fact we have to put her in a different room when pilling the other one as otherwise she darts in and takes the pill out of your hand. Junkie cat

Nala

I find it depends on the cat but some will hold a pill in their mouths for ages and then let it out about 5 minutes later! So I crush the pill into powder and put the powder directly into the cat's mouth. I find when you put it in their food they will always know and not eat.

KerranJast

To get the cat to stay put, calm it down for a few minutes by stroking it or whatever you normally do so its relaxed then wrap it up in an old towel so its head is the only part sticking out of the bundle. It's hard for it to move then.

Irish-Lass

do you know what you do go to the Chemist order a bottle of parazol which is a liquid worming for both cats and dogs and but some of it in ham and give it to them or else mix it with their food, less hassel and much less stressful on the cat.

KerranJast

Some cats though are very good at sniffing out that there's worming stuff in their food whether its liquid or crushed tabs. We had to get the vet to give ours a worm tab (he used a sort of water dropper to get her to swallow it) and we have never been able to give her ear mite fluid as she just shakes her head and it goes flying everywhere. Anyone know a solution to that problem?

Manny7

Just hold their head for a minute afterwards. They will sulk for while though, I think they get a bit freaked when you do that.

Nala

KerranJast wrote:

Some cats though are very good at sniffing out that there's worming stuff in their food whether its liquid or crushed tabs. We had to get the vet to give ours a worm tab (he used a sort of water dropper to get her to swallow it) and we have never been able to give her ear mite fluid as she just shakes her head and it goes flying everywhere. Anyone know a solution to that problem?

You should hold the cat's ear flat against her head after you put the stuff in and massage the ear to spread the stuff around. It's harder for her to shake it off when it's spread around.

SHAKESPEARE_SIS

Thanks everybody for all the good advice. Had been trying to use Drontal - didn't realise the Stronghold worked for worms (even if only roundworm) - he doesn't mind this too much as long as hes very relaxed before the application. I'll start with trying the least stressful options though i suspect it'll all end in tears The last time he had those ear drops, he left home for a week !!!

tk123

you can get syringe type things for pills that make it really easy!! They hold the pill and let you put it at the back of their throats. The vet told me to do it like this - take hold of the cat by the scruff of the neck, gently stand him up on his hind legs - this makes their mouth open. Then I get the pill syringe and put it into his mouth, press the plunger and hold his mouth closed for a few seconds and he swallows it no probs. It's easier if you put a bit of butter around the pill - especially if the pill is small to hold it in place I usually give him a bit of ham to say sorry afterwards too

Capall86

tk123 wrote:

you can get syringe type things for pills that make it really easy!! They hold the pill and let you put it at the back of their throats. The vet told me to do it like this - take hold of the cat by the scruff of the neck, gently stand him up on his hind legs - this makes their mouth open. Then I get the pill syringe and put it into his mouth, press the plunger and hold his mouth closed for a few seconds and he swallows it no probs. It's easier if you put a bit of butter around the pill - especially if the pill is small to hold it in place I usually give him a bit of ham to say sorry afterwards too

You have hit the nail on the head, never mind that between your knees stuff, this act actually does cause the cat to open its mouth, plus the vet(if anyway decent) should sell/hand them out with the wormers, they only cost like 50c or a euro

Arcadian

If your using such devices to administer pills you need to be very careful as there is a risk of choking. My own vet always advises against using them.

Capall86

Arcadian wrote:

If your using such devices to administer pills you need to be very careful as there is a risk of choking. My own vet always advises against using them.

Not if used properly, adn you can show a five yr old how to use it properly.

bug

Ask the Vet to show you how to do it.

My vet did this thing with the cat where he sort of opened her throat and dropped it in. then he massaged her neck to pass the pill down.

I should have asked him. We spent three weeks chasing her around and getting attacked to get antibiotics into her, until we converted to the syringe.

FlutterinBantam

If all else fails try stealth.... wait till yer cat is very hungry.... go the whole hog and treat it with something like chicken fillet cut up..... Powder up small bit of the tablet mix it in an he will take it ok.... takes time tho

may require one or two applications to get the tablet consumed...

morgana

After having gone through the ritual ordeal today, the best method for me is powdering the tablet (i had Drontal) and mixing it with a minute amount of water to a thickish paste. Hold cat in a tight embrace (preferably it is sitting somewhere elevated) and smear paste to the side of mouth, you can also try to wedge your finger in the side of mouth (which she will open) and get as much of the paste in as you can. Cat will lick off any paste around the mouth and bingo consume the tablet while grooming! I found that is the least traumatising method for both, me and the cat
Cat has already forgotten / forgiven and I have peace for thenext three months

electron

my cat is one of the difficult ones to give medicines.
if i mix it with food, she won't touch the food. i put the tablet in her mouth, she refuses to swallow. i make a paste with water, she won't swallow either but just goes to a trance of some kind (freezes). if i smear it on her jaw or paws she will find a way to dispose of it without licking. the only options that work are either liquid medicines from a syringe, or crushing the tablet, mixing with liver paste, and then putting the paste in the cat's mouth - she wont eat it from the bowl but once it's in her mouth she surrenders and swallows...

muckety

Glad to see other people have the same problems I do giving worming tablets! I have reverted to the drontal tabs as the 'back of the neck' liquids were not working for my cats - they were showing visible worms after 6 weeks (yuck!!). Having dosed them 2ce with drontal (with cat clamped between my knees, held until they finally swallow then a bit of chicken as a reward) I am now happy they are clear but have upped the worming frequency to 6 weeks - any one got any advice on why the liquid solution didn't work? Or why they were so bad with worms so soon...

ziggy23

I always give my cats their tablets in a lump of cheese and they gobble it up.I think most cats like cheese, probably not the healthiest option if you're giving them tablets regularly but for once in a while it's fine

planetX

Muckety, if your cats are hunting they'll be getting worms from the wildlife, including tapeworm which is why I don't use the stronghold drops. I've had success with one cat by crushing the tablet into a small saucer of cream. The other cat won't consume tablet in any form, even when starved for a while, so it's back to the ol cat between the knees routine...

electron

for the cat between your knees routine, i recommend that once you got the tablet at the back of her mouth, use a syringe to get some water in as well. (but only from the side of the mouth, so you don't accidentally drown them... got to be very careful there)

edit: syringe without a needle, of course

B'witched

ziggy23 wrote: »

I always give my cats their tablets in a lump of cheese and they gobble it up.I think most cats like cheese, probably not the healthiest option if you're giving them tablets regularly but for once in a while it's fine

Put the tablet in a bit of soft cream cheese, then wrap in a piece of ham.

100% success with my cats/kittens

electron

B'witched wrote: »

Put the tablet in a bit of soft cream cheese, then wrap in a piece of ham.

how big do you make the wrap:D?

The Sweeper

Beh, did our worm rounds today. Have one scratch on my right arm, but that's it. Four out of five cats successfully wormed without major drama.

With Eric, think the next thing we'll try is to mash a tablet into butter and rub it into his front paws so he has to lick it off. Nothing else works.

(And wrapping in a towel doesn't work - trust me, if I can pill four out of five cats successfully in my own home, plus fosters when needed, there's a REASON for Eric...)