Our wee Tonks had to go to the vets today.. She's not been herself recently, no terrorising the dogs, no theiving off the bench, alseep all day on Pilots blanket on the bed... no sneaking about outside.
She has an infection somewhere inside. The only physical symptom is a high temperature, she's eating and peeing just not herself.
The vet has put her onto antibiotics twice a day. I did warn the vet that Tonks has a wild streak in her so she got a pill popper to get the pill in.
The pill kept falling out as she tried to get it into Tonks' mouth but said mouth was shut like a steal trap and not about to open for anyone.
I tried a trick I saw a vet nurse use with Tree once. I laid Tonks back in my arms with the scruff of her neck in my fist. Lean her back so her head is slightly lower than the rest of her and pop the pill in. Tree went into a sort of trance and the vet nurse got the pill in.
Tonks just went very very still. Jaw still tight shut. As the vet was trying to get Tonks' mouth open, the pill fell out of the popper and landed right on Tonks lips, right in the middle. One lick and it was gone! Eaten! Tart! I had obviously imagined how she would react and was ready for the worst. Tonks just wanted it all to be over with. She is now home and had a wee snack and is possibly back on Pilots Blankey on Kims bed. She's proclaimed Blankey is hers, Pilot can go find something else to sleep on.... the tatty old mat in the lounge for instance. I doubt Pilot agrees, she loves Blankey.
I was also able to get 1 litre of Matrix, YAY! now, as I peer into my invisible crystal ball..... I can see through the mist....... me..... a set of bathroom scales.... a goat who has other plans and oooooh.... a lack of mathematical skills. As the mist clears....... I see.... Ooooh goats running about in the paddock... an unused, abandoned till I settle down, drench gun and drench..... dried mud covered bathroom scales, and me.... needing a cup of tea a calculator, someone to operate the numbers going into the calculator and a small herd of goats with smug 'Ha I won that battle' looks on their faces. Hmmmmmm.... I must remember to take a pencil and paper out with me too...... the two things you never have when you need to do some figuring.
Sit on sofa. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your elbow as though you were going to give a bottle to a baby. Talk softly to it.
With right hand, position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. (be patient) As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Drop pill into mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
Pick the pill up off the floor and go get the cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. Sit on floor in kitchen, wrap arm around cat as before, drop pill in mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Scoot across floor to pick up pill, and go find the cat. Bring it back into the kitchen. 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 forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. Drop pill into mouth.
Pry claws from back legs out of your arm. Go get the cat, pick up half-dissolved pill from floor and drop it into garbage can.
Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet. Call spouse from backyard. 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.
Retrieve cat from curtain rod, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
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.
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.
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 rubber band.
Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take another pill from foil wrap.
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, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour one cup of water down throat to wash pill down.
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 at furniture shop on way home to order new table.
Get last pill from bottle. Go into bathroom and get a fluffy towel. Stay in the bathroom with the cat, and close the door.
Sit on bathroom floor, wrap towel around kitty, leaving only his head exposed. Cradle kitty in the crook of your arm, and pick up pill off of counter.
Retrieve cat from top of shower door (you didn't know that cats can jump 5 feet straight up in the air, did you?), and wrap towel around it a little tighter, making sure its paws can't come out this time. With fingers at either side of its jaw, pry it open and pop pill into mouth. Quickly close mouth (his, not yours).
Sit on floor with cat in your lap, stroking it under the chin and talking gently to it for at least a half hour, while the pill dissolves.
Unwrap towel, open bathroom door. Wash off scratches in warm soapy water, comb your hair, and go find something to occupy your time for 7-1/2 hours.
Arrange for SPCA to get cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.
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Get Kim to hold her so she cant back away, put your hand over her head and use your finger to push the cheek skin into the mouth, sounds dreadful but they won't bite themselves:) then squeeze the cheeks and open the mouth, with the tablet in the other hand and push it down the throat with your finger very quickly then run!
Or, just try giving it to her. In the past my cats have needed the odd pill. They flavour them (chocolate? with what, I wonder) and my two have simply gobbled them down.
Some of my cats are easy, but others seem to manage spitting it out 100 times. I find that a bit of margarine around the pill makes it less likely to come back out once you get it in. it does make it harder to hold on to though but still worth it in my opinion (ie: harder for you but easier for the cat)
Oh.. and I've tried using a pill popper. it just makes it harder!! the darned things ALWAYS drop the pill at the slightest hint of a struggle!
So far I seem to be able to get her to take the little pink pill as long as I scruff her and hold her on her back. I even managed to do it without any help from Kim this morning AND with Bria in the room. Bria is such a nosey girl, she HAS to know what is going on and sometimes sticking her nose in where it's not wanted gets it scratched, does she learn? does she heck as like!
Usually the first pill goes in and then after that, the receiver of the pill is wise to every step, noise and action leading up to the pill getting shoved in.
Phoebe takes a couple of pills before she learns the sound of the cupboard opening, the foil opening and the consequent capture and pill application so she legs it as soon as she hears the foil packet being popped open for the next dose. The cupboard door is a bit of a red herring cos we might just be getting out tea bags or something.
Tonks is getting better. Even after the first pill, she seemed to be a bit better and last night, wanted to go outside!!! Yay! She's such a smooch!
Hi Yakut - It sounds like the little pink pill may be Clavulox an antibiotic, one of my cats actually just eats it directly from my hand but for the other who is a guts I hide it in a sliver of fresh meat one bite and it's gone []
I can get the pill into her, no problems.... but MAN can she hold a swallow from happening. I know if I let her go, she'll spit it out so I hold her until she swallows. She doesn't really put up a fight, just lies there staring at me with huge gorgeous green eyes. I just keep telling her to "swallow the little pill" and stroking her throat and around her face. She finally gives in and swallows.
Bria, my dog, is the one who will eat anything handed to her. I usually wrap any pills she's needed in the past, in a marmite sandwich. She practically inhales her food so she wouldn't know what was in her sandwich.
Tonks is more of a licker/taster. She'd lick all the good stuff off around the pill and leave it behind.
My late wee darling Nako was good at taking pills, AND towards the end, having his insulin injections. He would just sit there and let me inject him and if I botched it and the needle went in and out the other side of the skin, he'd sit and wait while I refilled the syringe. He's been gone 9 years now and I will always love him. He was my first cat and what a cat!!!! We had a special bond, me and him.
Each cat is different, Tree was as sweet as she was wild, all smooches and claws if you ticked her off but we had an understanding.
Tonks is a little of Nako and Tree and herself. I see little similarities all the time.
Tonks is obviously feeling better... little arse was causing havoc all night last night. She obviously wasn't tired and was getting into who the hell knows what and knocking things down. Bria HAS to know what's going on, so she was up and down all night seeing what Tonks was up to. Phoebe and Tonks had a major argument in the hall at about 3am which was quickly sorted but man, all that hissing, sounded like someone had a hole in their tyre.
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