# Persuading a reluctant cat to take tablets - any advice?



## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi all, it's been a little while since I last posted in this section, but I'm hoping some of you lovely people can give me some advice and tips 

Pebbles is on monthly Comfortis flea tablets as he's allergic to the spot-ons. He also has his quarterly Drontal worming tablet.

When he first started on Comfortis, he used to take them as good as gold in a handful of treats, and didn't seem to mind the flavour at all. However, for the last few months it's been something of a battle to get him to take them. I've tried:

- Handful/bowlful of dry food (normally given as occasional treats) - he picks out the treats and ignores the tablet.
- Buried in wet food - he ignores the bowl of food completely until I give up and remove the tablet, when he scoffs it (the food not the tablet!)

I'm reluctant to try crushing it and mixing with food, as I think he'd just leave the food, and the Comfortis tablets are too expensive to waste in that way!

So for the last few months, I've resorted to holding him firmly, slipping the tablet into his mouth as soon as he opens it even a fraction, and attempting to hold his mouth shut until he swallows it. It's rather an ordeal for both of us - he doesn't bite/scratch except for the odd accidental scratch while trying to get away, but he really hates the whole experience and is in a huff with me for a day or so afterwards.

What makes it worse is that he's really good at both keeping his mouth firmly locked so that I can't get the tablet in, and spitting it out as soon as I do manage to slip it in! It generally gets spat out at least 4 or 5 times before I finally succeed in getting him to swallow it. And on months when the Drontal's also due - such as today - it's double the trauma!

Just wondering if there's a 'method' for this which will make it any easier at all, or any tips anyone can offer?


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## Timern (Feb 17, 2015)

I will try to give you some advice. When my cat was alive, I used Advantage II on her. She got Sentry Worm Away Cat DeWormer, too. It was to rid her of roundworms, which she often got. Has the vet approved you giving Comfortis? There is a product called Vetoquinol Pill Wrap for Dogs & Cats that I use to put my cats worming pill in. Is the Comfortis a tablet or a capsule? The only way I was able to get her to take the pill was with the Vetoquinol. You can try crushing the pill into a fine powder. Then stir in about ¼ of the crushed pill into a small serving of canned food. Do this four times throughout the day and the entire pill should eventually be consumed. You can do ½ the crushed pill in each serving, but it might be better to do smaller portions, as it is so expensive. You will only be able to mix it in using canned food, though. If neither of my tips work, then you are probably just going to have to shove it down your cats throat.


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Thanks for the reply  Yes the vet has approved Comfortis, as it is prescription-only (hence the price!) It's in chewable pills, so presumably they'd be OK to crush, but as I said I'd prefer to try any other options first, as I seriously think he'd just refuse to eat any meal with crushed tablet in (even a small amount). He's a bit of a faddy eater anyway, and meals that he likes one day may be left sitting in the bowl all day the next! (He didn't eat his breakfast today, and even ignored the bit of leftover roast chicken I gave him around 2pm!)

The Vetoquinol sounds like it's worth a try, I'll look into it. Thanks for the advice! :thumbup1:


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## Timern (Feb 17, 2015)

You are very welcome. Ive never heard of Comfortis, so I dont know much about it. My current kitties dont mind crushed pills, but my kitty in heaven would not eat food with crushed pills in it either. She was a very picky eater, too. Your boy sounds extra picky! Ive had great success with the Vetoquinol, so it is worth a try. I hope it works out for you.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Instead of holding his mouth shut, once you get the pill in, dot a little bit of something wet soft and tasty on his lips. He will lick it of and swallow, tablet and all.

Soft butter, yogurt, cream cheese, even a very tiny amount of mayonnaise (since it is only once a month, mayo isn't something you would want to give much of).

Actually, put a dot of that tasty stuff on his mouth _first_, let him lick it off, then get the pill in, then another dot of the tasty stuff. It's a fail proof method. 

Best way to hold him when doing this is, kneel on the floor and put him between your knees, facing out. Cross your feet behind you. Now he can't back away. Put the dot of stuff on his mouth. while he's licking it off, put the pill in his mouth. then quick with the next bit of stuff. Once you are sure he has swallowed release him, then offer him one more taste of the treat, to lick off your finger.


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## Timern (Feb 17, 2015)

That is a good idea (maybe a bit of his favorite wet cat food).


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

The wet food could work too of course, though something creamy is easier to work with, but it better to use something that is used only for that particular situation, so the cat doesn't associate his regular food with something stressful.


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## Ali71 (Apr 27, 2014)

Hi Naomi

You could try something like this if he is keen on his treats?

Greenies Feline Pill Pockets Salmon 1.6oz: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies


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## cava14 una (Oct 21, 2008)

Since it isn't a frequent tablet can you try catching him by surprise whe n he's asleep/ Pop it in and back it up with something tasty


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## ameliajane (Mar 26, 2011)

My last cat was impossible to give tablets to and wouldn't eat food tainted with crushed pills.

I used to ensure the pills were crushable and then crush and mix with about 3-5ml of water or water + gravy from a tin of cat food. This can then be drawn up in a small syringe and given slowly by inserting the tip of the syringe into the side of the cat's mouth. You don't even have to get the mouth open because the tip will go in-between the teeth. Follow it up with a few favourite treats.

No drama, no trauma and no hard feelings afterwards


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Quite a few ideas for me to try there, thanks for all the suggestions  I've got a few ideas to try next month now, so I'll let you know how it goes!


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Old thread, but just wanted to officially confirm that Pebbles has tablet-detecting abilities to rival any sniffer dog! I tried a new trick with today's Comfortis tablet - hidden in a small spoonful of cream cheese which was then wrapped in raw haddock skin. I gave him three of these little parcels at once, and only one had the tablet in. The two 'dummy' ones were wolfed straight down, while he wouldn't even touch the one with the tablet in  And to think he used to take it straight from my hand! :frown2:


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Does Comfortis have quite a strong smell to it?  If so it is possible he'd be able to detect it even smothered in cream cheese and wrapped in haddock skin. I think you'd need to hide it in something much stronger smelling to fool him. 

Pill pockets are good, because they are like strong smelling treats, but they are hollow and malleable so you can shape a Pill Pocket round a tablet. The tablet needs to be small enough to be swallowed easily. If it is large then cut into two of three pieces. (I have not seen the Comfortis tablets).

What I do with my cats is give them empty Pill Pockets, a few a day, for several days, as treats. Once the cat is used to them and trusts them I sneak the tablet into one Pill Pocket, and give it along with two empty Pill Pockets alongside their supper. Usually by then the cat has got used to gulping the Pill Pockets down whole, (as cats often do with treats), so he doesn't even bite in to them and notice the tablet. 

If the tablet is really impossible to get down him maybe consider him having the Program injection at the vets every 6 months. It interrupts the life cycle of the fleas and stops them breeding. It won't kill the odd flea that jumps on the cat, but some people find it gives adequate protection even so. My vet uses just that for her outdoor cat, and says he never has fleas.


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

I did look into Pill Pockets, but they seem quite expensive and I've seen mixed reviews for them, with quite a few people saying their cat doesn't like them, so thought I'd try the "home-made" option rather than risk wasting money. I really thought haddock skin would be smelly enough to disguise it, but obviously not!

It's not impossible to get them down him, just unpleasant for all concerned, especially him. I don't think the injection would be enough in our case, as there's loads of cats in our neighbourhood and I'm not sure how effectively de-flead the others are - I have some suspicious itchy bites on my own ankle at the moment!  I may just have to bite the bullet and take a chance on the Pill Pockets then.


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## whiskerstopaws (Apr 12, 2015)

You could consider taking him to the vet and having them pill him. It's only once a month. Could be less stressful on both of you in the long run. At the vet I work at we do this for free for our patients as long as your ok with one of the techs doing it.


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## Cats cats cats (Feb 4, 2011)

Another vote for Pill Pockets here  If I remember rightly, Comfortis are HUGE tablets  at least the ones for my boys were (which I never used) so that may well be contributing to the difficulties you're having pilling directly into his mouth. As Comfortis are chewable, so presumably ok to cut, I would cut them up and put them in pill pockets


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