Hi to u all!
I really love pets and I’ve being interested in animal all my life !
I have 2 dogs : T-bone & Rex and a cat for the last 2 years who’s name is Robert. lately Robert has been having worms, (is it possible that he got it from the neighbor’s dog or other dogs and cats???)
I want to the vet and he gave me some de-worming pills for him. I tried to crumble the tablet into his food but he notice it right away.
I tried wrapping it with some sausage but he refuse to swallow it .
I even tried using force but Robert kept scratching and twirling!!!
what can I do ??
Elizabeth

Elizabeth:

Welcome to the forum.

The link below has a demonstration of the pilling process.

Pilling can be difficult with some cats. Of my five, three I can pill without any problem. The other two – no way in the world.

The biggest problem will be your fear or hesitancy. Your kitty will pick that up from you and become concerned. Do your best to be calm and reassured. The positive “vibs” will go a long way to make the process easy.

There are a few other tricks, like using a pill gun, etc. Also, the stronger smelling and tasting the food, the easier it is to hide a pill. For example, really stinky fish might work if you want to mix the pill in with food.

I wish you luck. Please let us know how it goes.

Mark

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Hello Elizabeth, and welcome!!!! We're so happy you stopped by here!!!

I cannot really give you any more information that Mark already has because pilling a cat is certainly and "art form" that one needs to learn. I will, however, wish you much luck with this new endeavor of yours.

Word of caution however, do not mix/crush one pill in with a whole bunch of food because if your cat doesn't eat ALL the food, he also will not get ALL the medicine that he needs....best to put it into a small amount to be sure it's all taken in. You could also ask your vet to demonstrate the way to do it for you if you have problems.... I'm sure that if you explain to them that you are having a hard time with it, they will let you bring the cat in and a vet tech could show you how at no charge.

Hello and welcome, Elizabeth!

There are a few kinds of worms cats can get, and each is acquired differently. What kind of worms did the vet say your cat has?

The most common ones cats get are roundworms and tapeworms.

Roundworms:

Roundworms look like strands of spaghetti.

Cats can be born with roundsworms if their mother had them while pregnant. The roundworms can pass through the placenta. The roundworms also pass in the mother's milk, so nursing kittens can get them that way.

Roundworms are also acquired from a cat eating a prey animal that has them.

Information on roundworms:

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Tapeworms:

What we see are the segments that broke off the tapeworm and come out the cat's rear. The segments look like grains of rice. The tapeworm itself is still in the cat and around 6 inches long, maybe longer.

Tapeworms get into cats from cats ingesting fleas when the cat grooms. The fleas eat the tapeworm eggs, the tapeworm hatches in the flea, then when the cat eats the flea, the tapeworm has a new home in the cat.

Info on tapeworms:

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There are other kinds of worms cats can get. Here is more info:

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Since it sounds like you let your cat free roam outside, he can easily wind up with fleas and then tapeworms. If he hunts and eats what he catches, he can get roundworms that way.

It really is not a good idea to let cats free roam. We built an outdoor enclosure so our cats can have safe outdoor time. They can still get fleas, of course. Here is our enclosure:

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Mark gave you some info and tips on giving pills to cats. Here is another good idea. Wrap up the cat in a towel, like swaddling a baby. The cat then can't scratch you to try to get away. Then kneel on the floor with the wrapped up cat between your thighs. Use your thighs to hold the body still, and you then have two hands to use. One to pry the mouth opened, and the other to put the pill in.

Try to get the pill as far back on the tongue as you can and in the center. Do NOT clamp the cat's mouth shut tightly, or the cat will have trouble swallowing. Just lighly hold the cat's mouth shut and tip his head up a little bit.

Have a little syringe of water next to you to squirt a little water in the cat's mouth before and after giving the pill. Before, to slick down his throat, and after, to wash the pill down. Squirt the water in the front of his mouth only, never directly all the way back in his throat, or he can wind up aspirating it into his lungs.

Whew! I wrote a lot! Let us know how things go.

Oh yes...and also NEVER lay a cat on his or her back to pill or give any kinds of liquids because there again, they can aspirate fluid into the lungs which can lead to very bad problems.

Keep the cat's head in it's "normal" position like when he is walking or standing.... do not tip the head backwards.

Hi Elizabeth and WELCOME!

I see you've already gotten wonderful information, so I won't add anything. I just wanted to say welcome and glad you joined the forum. We're a friendly bunch......and you'll enjoy it here.

Maria

Elizabeth:

There is a product on the market that aids in administering pills to cats. It is called Pill Pockets.

Pill Pockets are available at most of the big box pet stores such as Petsmart and Petco. It is also available on line at places like Pet Food Direct.

Here is a link to this company.

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Mark

Hello Rafilolo. I do agree with the actions of our Moderator who removed the link that website you gave. We only approve links to sites for medications for cats that are either the manufacturer's site, or from a licensed veterinary supply site. Many supplements and other medicines sold for cats are not safe.

In addition, there is not a product effective for all worms, as that link you gave said.

People must first know what exact intestinal parasite or worm their cat has, and that means a stool sample needs to be analyzed by a veterinarian, or segments from tapeworms around the cat's anus need to be seen and correctly identified. Then, and only then, can the correct, safe worming medication be determined and prescribed by a vet.

Over the counter, non-prescription products are not very effective and some are not safe.

But, thanks for your input. Do post again, telling us about your cats. Why not introduce yourself and your cats in our "Welcome new members" section?