Downs and Ups

It's been a week of downs and ups here at Chez-Ranger.  We took Ivy in for a check-up again on Tuesday.  Started the whole thing off by discovering that Ivy had lost more weight.  She went from 8 lbs 3 oz (up from 8 lbs) down to 7 lbs 12 oz.  We were very upset by that, as we thought she'd been eating enough to at least maintain her weight.  Dr G (our hero!) also took some blood for analysis and, most traumatically for Ivy, clipped the ol' girls claws.  Ivy now no longer clicks when she walks.  We bought a few more cans of the especially tasty (smelly) gooshy food, brought Ivy home and waited for the lab results.  In the interim, we fed Ivy turkey (the cats are the only creatures in the house to get turkey on Thanksgiving) and set out heaping plates of the gooshy for her each night.  She's eating all of it, thank goodness, and seems to be her usual self.  She's felt up to helping us with the laundry:

  She seems to *love* napping on unfolded sheets.  Regardez!

  We got Ivy's labs back on Friday.  Her kidneys are slightly worse off and her thyroid is a bit low.  The instructions?  Cut back on the thyroid meds to get her thyroid back up as that will help the kidney function.  Keep on with whatever food the wee tuxie will eat.  We're good with both.  The major issue, though, comes up when it's meds time for Ivy.  I had been mashing her meds in a soft treat and feeding those to her.  She's completely stopped eating them.  Doesn't matter what flavor treat we use, either.  It's gotten to the point that I have to actually pill her.  Distressing for both of us.  This morning, once she noticed that I had the pills in my hand, Ivy walked (not ran) behind the couch.  I was waiting once she came out and it was an unhappy time for both of us.  She's not hard to pill but she *really* hates it.  Anyone out there have any non-traumatic methods for getting a pill into a cat?  She's gotta have 'em, and she will get 'em, but I'd rather not upset her like that.  I'd hate to upset her into defib while I'm giving her the blood-pressure meds.

Anyways, Maddie has been a bit jealous with all the attention paid to Ivy, but she's coping well.  Most of the time she's not even that, well, catty to Ivy.  They are still sharing the bed nicely:

 But still...I do think Maddie is jealous. She's been quite a lap-cat this week.  She's also trying to let us know that she can be as cute as Ivy:

  This wasn't a stretch, folks!  Napped like that for 10 minutes.  Trying to show us that her wee feet are as cute as Ivy's!  Never fear, Maddie....you are always safe in our affection.

Let us know if you cat-people have any good methods for pilling.  Thanks!

  

Comments

[jason]

I wish I had sound guidance for you. One of my cats runs to me when he hears the pill bottle because he's taken medication his whole life and he can't live without affection--and he knows he'll get lots of lovin' if he takes his meds. Pilling him is no more difficult than drinking a glass of water.

Another of mine is the complete opposite: He takes great emotional offense at being pilled, and he'll do whatever it takes to avoid swallowing the medication--even if that includes walking away as though nothing happened just to spit it out in another room. He's quite the sneaky one!

With seven cats, even I have to modify my approach based on the individual involved--and I've not found a one-size-fits-all approach that works for all them. I wish I had better news. Perhaps someone else can offer more sound advice.

Still, I'm thrilled you're staying on top of Ivy's condition and doing your best to deal with it sans major trauma.

And both of them look awfully fine in these photos. Thanks for taking such good care of them!

[iamfelix]

I've heard a lot of people who swear by Pill Pockets, though I've never tried them:

http://tinyurl.com/6644jx

I used to have luck with *small* pills feeding them in a teaspoon of yogurt, ice cream or baby food (one of the meat varieties), depending on the cat's tastes. I know it's not easy, and I wish you all the luck. Ivy sure was lucky when she picked the Rangers.

[Riley & Tiki]

Mommy uses a pill shooter with me and gives me treats afterwards. Now when she gets out my pill, she has to shoo away my brothers because they want one too.

[fiona]

uh oh. I am crossing my fingers for Ivy. Really.

Oh, and I am admiring wee feet too! :))

[Scooby, Shaggy & Scout]

Oh Ivy honey, you need to take your pills and cooperate! I've never had too hard a time pilling, though I've not had to do it too often. I just walk up to the cat in a no nonsense fashion and pry open the mouth and toss back the pill as far as I can. Of course I have to be tricky about going outside to open the pill bottle, otherwise the cat will hear me and hide! But they get wise to me going outside prior to the pill tossing, so they hide anyway when they hear the door. Hard to keep one step ahead of them! Sorry I'm not much help......! But they are such smart little buggers!

[Scooby, Shaggy & Scout]

PS: Maddie, you are one sweet little gal!! We love your ear tufts and those darling little feet in the are are irristible! We wish we could reach through the screen and rub those toesies and snorgle that floofy belly of yours!!!!

[Marjorie]

I hope Ivy is feeling better. I have always found that shots are much more tolerable by cats than pills and much easier to administer. Ask your vet it it is possible to get the same medication in shot form. Otherwise can you crush the pill and add it to food or anything that you know that she will eat in a small amount to verify that it is all gone? Or melt it with a few drops of water? Pilling can be such a pain for both cat and human. I say go for the shots. I was really surprised how one of my cats came around after I switched to shots. A miracle for both of us as he was brand new to me.

Good luck and get well Ivy you are bootiful.