My Cat just Turned 18 yo, or 89 in Cat Years

[JimBowie1958]

Instead of crushing the pills.....you could always poke them down their throat. Just be sure to dress like the 'Michelin Man' & hold the cat firmly. Then slip the pill into their mouth at the back where the lips meet & using your finger follow the pill just past the gag point and then rub the throat to encourage the swallow reflex. It's how I've given any of our pets pills. And sometimes the cats take 2 or 3 people to accomplish this.


well, nevermind maybe crushing it into their favorite food IS easier......

Lol, yeah, I would not survive a week of doing that twice a day due to blood loss.

Not only that, but after about the second time....they will never trust you again & you'll have to chase them down to do it......making blood loss an even bigger problem

Yeah, we tried; didnt work so well. I still gots the scarrs

 

[flacaltenn]

Instead of crushing the pills.....you could always poke them down their throat. Just be sure to dress like the 'Michelin Man' & hold the cat firmly. Then slip the pill into their mouth at the back where the lips meet & using your finger follow the pill just past the gag point and then rub the throat to encourage the swallow reflex. It's how I've given any of our pets pills. And sometimes the cats take 2 or 3 people to accomplish this.


well, nevermind maybe crushing it into their favorite food IS easier......

Lol, yeah, I would not survive a week of doing that twice a day due to blood loss.

what the heck is Bisque? Only bisque I know involves a certified chef and lobster..

 

[flacaltenn]

Instead of crushing the pills.....you could always poke them down their throat. Just be sure to dress like the 'Michelin Man' & hold the cat firmly. Then slip the pill into their mouth at the back where the lips meet & using your finger follow the pill just past the gag point and then rub the throat to encourage the swallow reflex. It's how I've given any of our pets pills. And sometimes the cats take 2 or 3 people to accomplish this.


well, nevermind maybe crushing it into their favorite food IS easier......

Lol, yeah, I would not survive a week of doing that twice a day due to blood loss.

The taste is awful.. You can get a compounding pharmacist to make it into a transdermal cream. You just tap their inside ear and you're done.. Should run about $120 for a 60 day supply.. It's steep.. But so is the stress in both you and the cat pushing these pills or mixing it into food..

 

[Toro]

And he is still as spry as he ever was, mostly. He has developed a lot of peculiarities in his long life. First, he thinks he is a dog and tries to growl and howl. He grew up from a kitten with a dog as his buddy and took to imitating the dog.

After the dog died, he kind of went into a depression, but we brought some kittens over to visit him and he got back to his normal self, for the most part. Now he will jump up on the back of my easy chair and run through the house. He has arthritis and an over active thyroid, but we give him medication for that. To get him to eat it, I crush the hard pills in a mortar and mix it in with his Bisque which he loves. He is still skinny, but not to the point of death. His life consists of eating, sleeping, pooping, run around the house, play with a toy, then reloading by eating some more, rinse and repeat. Rough job if you can get it.

He has gotten a bit skittish and he does not like to eat alone. Sometimes he feels that enough he will caterwaul downstairs to get me to come and sit with him and I do when it seems particularly mournful.

We bought him as a little kitten when my daughter was 7 and she did really well in school that year. I still remember how he fought to get out of his box, but I am slightly allergic to cats and did not want to test my symptoms on the drive home, so he stayed in the box till we got home. But my daughter and I played with him through the handle slot and was immediately drawn to him. He was so tiny and playful. Every time I look at him even now I am reminded of my daughter and her fascination and pride in her little cat that day. I still find it confusing emotionally that she did not take him with her when she moved out. I guess my wife is more attached to the cat than my daughter was.

The vet says we should only feed him one can of food and a cup of dry meal each day. But he is too old for that. I give him three cans, some cat treats and the Bisque and he is still skinny.

His life is less active of course than it was 15 years ago. He used to slip outside when the kids were not looking and chase squirrels and other neighborhood cats, but the move to Virginia seemed to disrupt his World as he knew it, and was less aggressive about getting outside. Now when he goes out, he just sits on the steps and looks at things a while, then slowly sneaks up on grass, leaves and the occasional squirrel.

But more and more lately, he reminds me of myself....only I am not skinny, not by a long shot

I look at him and wonder how bad I am going to feel when he goes on that last journey. My wife will be unconsolable for a long time, and I dont look forward to that.

But every day, I feel like is a gift from God, to get to take care of my little cat and keep my wife happy.

Congrats!

That's awesome.

 

[JimBowie1958]

The taste is awful.. You can get a compounding pharmacist to make it into a transdermal cream. You just tap their inside ear and you're done.. Should run about $120 for a 60 day supply.. It's steep.. But so is the stress in both you and the cat pushing these pills or mixing it into food..

Wow, I cannot afford that. I still havent found a job, and no income coming in yet.

But I appreciate your concern and the helpful tip. Mixing it in with the Bisque is cheaper and gives me an excuse to spoil my cat more.

 

[flacaltenn]

The taste is awful.. You can get a compounding pharmacist to make it into a transdermal cream. You just tap their inside ear and you're done.. Should run about $120 for a 60 day supply.. It's steep.. But so is the stress in both you and the cat pushing these pills or mixing it into food..

Wow, I cannot afford that. I still havent found a job, and no income coming in yet.

But I appreciate your concern and the helpful tip. Mixing it in with the Bisque is cheaper and gives me an excuse to spoil my cat more.

So what the heck is "Bisque" ????????

 

[JimBowie1958]

The taste is awful.. You can get a compounding pharmacist to make it into a transdermal cream. You just tap their inside ear and you're done.. Should run about $120 for a 60 day supply.. It's steep.. But so is the stress in both you and the cat pushing these pills or mixing it into food..

Wow, I cannot afford that. I still havent found a job, and no income coming in yet.

But I appreciate your concern and the helpful tip. Mixing it in with the Bisque is cheaper and gives me an excuse to spoil my cat more.

So what the heck is "Bisque" ????????

Oh, Bisque is a gravy treat for cats. Some of them have meat bits in them, like chicken, some are all gravy.

My cat loves them. I could probably feed him onions in it he likes it so much.

This is one, and there are others.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T76GKKW/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[independent minded]

And he is still as spry as he ever was, mostly. He has developed a lot of peculiarities in his long life. First, he thinks he is a dog and tries to growl and howl. He grew up from a kitten with a dog as his buddy and took to imitating the dog.

After the dog died, he kind of went into a depression, but we brought some kittens over to visit him and he got back to his normal self, for the most part. Now he will jump up on the back of my easy chair and run through the house. He has arthritis and an over active thyroid, but we give him medication for that. To get him to eat it, I crush the hard pills in a mortar and mix it in with his Bisque which he loves. He is still skinny, but not to the point of death. His life consists of eating, sleeping, pooping, run around the house, play with a toy, then reloading by eating some more, rinse and repeat. Rough job if you can get it.

He has gotten a bit skittish and he does not like to eat alone. Sometimes he feels that enough he will caterwaul downstairs to get me to come and sit with him and I do when it seems particularly mournful.

We bought him as a little kitten when my daughter was 7 and she did really well in school that year. I still remember how he fought to get out of his box, but I am slightly allergic to cats and did not want to test my symptoms on the drive home, so he stayed in the box till we got home. But my daughter and I played with him through the handle slot and was immediately drawn to him. He was so tiny and playful. Every time I look at him even now I am reminded of my daughter and her fascination and pride in her little cat that day. I still find it confusing emotionally that she did not take him with her when she moved out. I guess my wife is more attached to the cat than my daughter was.

The vet says we should only feed him one can of food and a cup of dry meal each day. But he is too old for that. I give him three cans, some cat treats and the Bisque and he is still skinny.

His life is less active of course than it was 15 years ago. He used to slip outside when the kids were not looking and chase squirrels and other neighborhood cats, but the move to Virginia seemed to disrupt his World as he knew it, and was less aggressive about getting outside. Now when he goes out, he just sits on the steps and looks at things a while, then slowly sneaks up on grass, leaves and the occasional squirrel.

But more and more lately, he reminds me of myself....only I am not skinny, not by a long shot

I look at him and wonder how bad I am going to feel when he goes on that last journey. My wife will be unconsolable for a long time, and I dont look forward to that.

But every day, I feel like is a gift from God, to get to take care of my little cat and keep my wife happy.

Wow! 18 years old is the longest time that I've heard of a cat living until! S/he must be one hell of a robust and healthy cat to have lived that long!!

 

[JimBowie1958]

And he is still as spry as he ever was, mostly. He has developed a lot of peculiarities in his long life. First, he thinks he is a dog and tries to growl and howl. He grew up from a kitten with a dog as his buddy and took to imitating the dog.

After the dog died, he kind of went into a depression, but we brought some kittens over to visit him and he got back to his normal self, for the most part. Now he will jump up on the back of my easy chair and run through the house. He has arthritis and an over active thyroid, but we give him medication for that. To get him to eat it, I crush the hard pills in a mortar and mix it in with his Bisque which he loves. He is still skinny, but not to the point of death. His life consists of eating, sleeping, pooping, run around the house, play with a toy, then reloading by eating some more, rinse and repeat. Rough job if you can get it.

He has gotten a bit skittish and he does not like to eat alone. Sometimes he feels that enough he will caterwaul downstairs to get me to come and sit with him and I do when it seems particularly mournful.

We bought him as a little kitten when my daughter was 7 and she did really well in school that year. I still remember how he fought to get out of his box, but I am slightly allergic to cats and did not want to test my symptoms on the drive home, so he stayed in the box till we got home. But my daughter and I played with him through the handle slot and was immediately drawn to him. He was so tiny and playful. Every time I look at him even now I am reminded of my daughter and her fascination and pride in her little cat that day. I still find it confusing emotionally that she did not take him with her when she moved out. I guess my wife is more attached to the cat than my daughter was.

The vet says we should only feed him one can of food and a cup of dry meal each day. But he is too old for that. I give him three cans, some cat treats and the Bisque and he is still skinny.

His life is less active of course than it was 15 years ago. He used to slip outside when the kids were not looking and chase squirrels and other neighborhood cats, but the move to Virginia seemed to disrupt his World as he knew it, and was less aggressive about getting outside. Now when he goes out, he just sits on the steps and looks at things a while, then slowly sneaks up on grass, leaves and the occasional squirrel.

But more and more lately, he reminds me of myself....only I am not skinny, not by a long shot

I look at him and wonder how bad I am going to feel when he goes on that last journey. My wife will be unconsolable for a long time, and I dont look forward to that.

But every day, I feel like is a gift from God, to get to take care of my little cat and keep my wife happy.

Wow! 18 years old is the longest time that I've heard of a cat living until! S/he must be one hell of a robust and healthy cat to have lived that long!!

Actually, there is a 30 year old Siamese cat that my cat has a portrait f hanging above HIS box.