Pill pockets: have these worked for anyone?

Question

I bought some of these this morning because one of my kitties needs 1.5 pills twice a day and it's getting harder to make him take them. So I bought these hoping they'd help. He ate them readily so I started feeling optimistic but he chewed them up well and managed to spit out both the whole pill and the half one. If it wasn't so tough to get him to take them it would have been funny.

In hindsight I don't know why I thought they would work.

I think I'm just going to crush them up, mix them in baby food and squirt it into his mouth with the syringe (no needle) I'm using to the liquid anti-biotics. I still have three and a half days of this left and I'm tired of feeling like I'm torturing him -- although this has to be better than the inflamed colon he's getting over.

Are there cats out there who fall for these things?

Answer 1

When you can't get liquid antibiotics.....

We have a pill popper for our cat.  It's basically a plunger on a long skinnny rod with a rubber end.  Stick the pill in the rubber holder, hold onto the cat, open the mouth, get the rubber part over the tongue to about where you want the syringe, and pop the pill in.  After practice you'll get to be pretty fast at this.  I got my pill popper from the vet, you might be able to get one there or at a pet store.  Good luck!  I had to give my cat lots of pills for a couple months and he was not a happy camper no matter how I tried to give him the pills.

Here's what it looks like:

http://www.petshed.com/products/item3059...

Answer 2

I have tried these - both successfully and not so much . . .  My feral kitten jumps on these and swallows immediately - wonderful!  One cat took a delicate sniff and tried to bury it. After 1 week of success, two cats figured out there was a pill in there, and never ate them again.  One cat expects one as a treat after having something indignant done (washing behind the tail . . . ).  So, for the majority of cats, it's back to the old "shove it down its throat" method.

Answer 3

How to give a cat a pill

1) Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3) Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right fore-finger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8) Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9) Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10) Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus jab. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12) Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.

13) Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14) Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15) Arrange for RSPCA to collect cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL:

1) Wrap it in bacon, toss it in the air.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself :D

We've never tried the pill pockets with our cats, but our dogs are gullible enough to fall for them. I would try crushing them like you suggested.

Answer 4

Petttoooey... pretty funny!

What I do ..

I coat the pill in butter or tuna oil.

put it on the tip of my finger and then pry open the mouth and poke it all the way down the throat... seems to work great.

I like your idea of the crush up/ baby food idea but antibiotics are bitter in  taste.  Might work good if you place it at the back of the tongue.

Or mix with tuna oil!

good luck