OT: Has anyone ever used a Miracle Blanket on a cat???

[babystuffbuff]

I know it sounds silly, but I was wondering if this might work.

Short backstory: my wonderful, sweet 3-year-old kitty has heart disease and must take medicines twice a day. She hasn't taken well to being wrapped in a towel and having pills shoved down her throat. Can't blame her. But she has gotten quite good at wriggling out of the wrap, and once she's free, she will spit out a few pills that she managed not to swallowed, so I wrap her again, try to give the pills again, etc.

Would a Miracle Blanket work to keep her contained so I can give the meds quicker, for both our sakes? If she gets loose three times, like she did this evening, the process can take a good fifteen minutes. This really stresses her out, which isn't good for either of our hearts.

TIA!

Sarah

[Momof3Labs]

nak

i doubt it, really.

have you tried a pillowcase instead?

[RwnMayfair]

Since the Miracle Blanket basically stays wrapped because the baby's weight is holding the flap down (as well as how much it's wrapped around, of course), I doubt it would keep the cat much better contained than a towel. It would probably take the cat a bit longer to get out, but you'd still have to hold her pretty well even with the blanket. I suspect it would be a huge pain to actually get a cat into though, and probably ultimately isn't really worth it. I will say I've never tried it, though.

I do now have some very funny pictures in my head of an attempt at getting a cat into the Miracle Blanket, though ;)

-Melissa

Taran, November 20, 2003
Elowen, August 20, 2005

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[shilo]

hi,

another thought might be to ask your vet if they can prescribe the meds as liquid instead? my cats take liquid so much easier than pills. i can usually just lightly scruff their necks (like mama cat holds them when they are young) and slip the dropper in the space at the far side of the mouth back by the molars and squirt it in there. you may also be able to find a compound pharmacist who will crush your pills and make a tuna flavored liquid for you -(check with your vet to make sure the meds aren't time release type meds before you do this tho...). i know here there is a pharmacy one town over that does special flavored compounding for pets (tuna, beef gravy and stew are one's my vet mentioned).

lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

[psophia17]

Have you tried conditioning your cat to not always hate the towel-wrapping? Wrap her up and just cuddle her or something, KWIM? If she starts thinking that being wrapped in a towel isn't always a medicine-giving battle, maybe it won't be so difficult after a while.

When we needed to give the cats pills when I was growing up, we'd shove the pill in their mouth as soon as we grabbed the cat, and then would tap the end of the cat's nose. They'd lick their nose, and swallow it right down.

[Jenn98]

I will keep this short and sweet, so ask for clarification if I'm confusing! (Preggo and Mommy Brain have attacked something fierce today and I need a nap.) Anyway, I also have a cat that must take a pill. I will spare you the gory details, but let's just say there were some noises I didn't know were possible to make and lots of foaming at the mouth. He HAS to take his meds or we have to put him down. What ended up working for us is to grind the pill up with the back of a spoon and mash it into a quarter of a can of wet cat food. I had to experiment with the type of cat food (has to be Fancy Feast Chicken Feast in the orange can). I also tried tuna, yogurt and cheese, but nothing works like the wet cat food. Give it a try, it might spare you the whole ordeal of wrapping a cat like a burrito!

HTH
Jenn

[amp]

We used a towel to hold them in sometimes for pilling. I can't hurt if it's just during that pill time, right?

Nevermind, I see you used the towel without much success, in which case I'm not sure the MB will do any better.

[Jo..]

How To Pill a Cat

Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on each 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.

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

Retrieve cat from bedroom, pick up and throw soggy pill away.

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 count of ten.

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

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 cat's mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

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

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 a pencil and blow into 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 just enough so that head is showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with plastic band.

Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard 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 road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last 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. Push pill into mouth followed by a large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

Get spouse to drive you to emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearms and removes pill from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home and order new dining table.

Arrange for ASPCA to collect cat and contact local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.


How To Pill a Dog
Wrap it in bacon. (the pill, not the dog)


Sorry! I know this doesn't help but I couldn't resist! :D

[babystuffbuff]

We actually have all of her medications in liquid form as well. We thought that would make them easier to give. We got the chicken flavoring, since the one and only canned food that she will eat on this earth is chicken in gravy. She HATES the liquids. She spits as much of it as she can out, and then we are left with not knowing how much she has taken - not good with medications that are keeping her heart pumping! Also, since she takes four different medications, we had to reload the dropper four different times, which took forever and she just got more and more agitated.

With the pills, at least I know that once she has swallowed them, she has gotten the full dose of what she needs.

Thanks for the idea, though!

Sarah

Auntie to my seven munchkins

[mudder17]

LOL, I can always count on you for a laugh Jo! :)


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah
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Kaya will be a sister, ~11/14/06!

[babystuffbuff]

>>What ended up working for us is to grind the pill up with the back of a spoon and mash it into a quarter of a can of wet cat food.

Jenn, we are in the same situation with our kitty - medication or that's it. I'm sorry that you are suffering the same ordeal. :(

We must have the pickiest cat on the planet. We went through every wet food ever made before finding ONE (Eucanuba Chicken & Livers in Gravy) that she gobbled down. But once we mix the medication in, no matter how finely we crush the pills or how thoroughly we mix the liquid in, she won't touch it. She sniffs briefly, then walks away.

It's all very frustrating. I wish there was a way to give her the medication without stressing her out!

Sarah

Auntie to my seven munchkins

[babystuffbuff]

HA! Thanks for the chuckle. Might be slightly funnier if that wasn't what I did every morning and evening..... :)

Sarah

Auntie to my seven munchkins

[amp]

Sarah,

I've seen that pilling a cat thing before. Trust me, when Miss Cleo is on the mend, and you look back on this, it will be even more hysterical....mostly because you know it's all true! Right?! How is Miss C today? I'm ready for an update.

[Jo..]

The pilling the cat thing kills me because I have 2 cats 3 dogs and worked as a veterinary assistant through college. One of my cats and one of my dogs each needs a daily pill, and that story is soooo true! I could *show* you how I give my cat a pill (pop open her top jaw and literally push it down her throat with my finger), but your cat won't like it ;)

[lvales]

Don't know about the Miracle Blanket, but here are a few things that might be worth trying...

Pill Pockets:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13311&N=2002+113751

You put the pill inside the pocket and then squish it around the pill - turns it into a treat.

Cat Sack
http://www.campbellpet.com/item.asp?idProduct=33

You may be able to find this cheaper somewhere else. It's basically a heavy-duty pillowcase with a zipper so only the cat's head is visible, and all of the claws are safely hidden. :) I think there are also other zippers in case you are trying to treat a foot so you can do them one at a time.

[writermama]

I'm sorry your cat and you are going through this ordeal. I've been there and it's no fun. One thing that helped in my case was calling my vet's office and having one of the techs there give me a long lesson on how to pill my cat. We walked through the wrapping in the towel process and practiced it until I felt confident. We also talked about doing the towel routine several times a day but not giving a pill -- instead giving a cuddle or a treat -- to help condition my cat to not hate it so much.

I've got to say that kitty straight jacket the PP posted a link to looks brilliant. I don't know if it works or not, but I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I had to pill one of my cats right now.

ETA: As if on cue, one of my cats just climbed into my lap -- a little clumsy with the claws, ouch!

Good luck,

[babystuffbuff]

Andrea,

I emailed you. :)

Sarah

Auntie to my seven munchkins

[babystuffbuff]

>>We also talked about doing the towel routine several times a day but not giving a pill -- instead giving a cuddle or a treat -- to help condition my cat to not hate it so much.

I will definitely try this (well, the cuddle part - we still can't find a treat she likes...). Fear of the "terrible towel" is probably part of what makes medication time so trying.

Sarah

Auntie to my seven munchkins