Kitty takes a Pill

Since Friday I have been giving Kitty an antibiotic three times a day. Did you know that cats produce drool? It’s very gross. They can produce copious amounts of drool, so much drool they can get all frothy. It’s off putting and really takes a chunk out of the whole “Cats are regal and stately” meme they try to pass off as the truth, instead that made that up out of whole cloth. Froth is not stately or regal.

When the vet told me about the pills I was so relived that Kitty wasn’t dieing from some horrible cat cancer that it didn’t occur to me to ask the vet if he remembered Kitty. The nicest thing he did at the vets office was growl – and the vet wanted me to force a pill down that cat’s throat three times a day for ten days? Was he out of his mind? Do they make blow guns sized for cat pilling? Could I find a nice blow gun instructor to help me? Are they in the yellow pages under “continuing education – out door sports? Hunting? Native crafts? The vet was not helpful.

Kitty was more or less okay with the first pill. He did this on purpose. I was going with the idea that he has a very short memory and he had forgotten about last summer’s benadryl debacle. I had. I forgot that kitty came with the Amazing Frothing action! package along with the Yodeling option. Funny how they don’t advertise those things when they are begging you to adopt one of their unwanted animals.

Me – Is he a good kitten?
Them – Oh, hell yeah. Cash or charge?
Me – Is there anything in his past I should be aware of?
Them – He’s all ready been fixed.
Me - Good. I mean, what happened before he got here?
Them - Kitten’s don’t have pasts. Will that be carry out?
Me – Was he abused?
Them – Are you accusing us?
Me – No! Was he feral?
Them – What? Like homeless?
Me – No. Was he wild? Where was he before he was here?
Them – Before what? He’s a sweet kitty. Do you want a tote bag?
Kitty – Mew, Mew, head butt, purrrrrrrrr.
Me - Do you take checks?

So. Nothing about his frothing or his growling or the reason behind his misanthropic nature.

When you read those little essays about how hard it is to pill a cat, they concentrate on the demolition aspects of it – the curtains get torn down, the good china gets shattered, but nothing about froth. The way I look at it, if you can find the pill after you tried to feed it to the cat you can be certain that the cat did not eat the pill, its clear. What is not clear is what happens if it sits in their mouth for a while and they are frothing? Is the pill melting? Are they getting some of the pill? Is the froth the pill? I know he gets at least some of his prescription because sometimes he swallows it and moves on. I discovered bribery does make the medicine go down but sometimes, it makes for more froth and yesterday he spit the treat out in my face. It’s kind of hard to track if he is getting the benefits of the meds (so far? zip results) if I can’t tell he’s actually getting the meds. Dogger makes it so easy, wrap the pill in something edible and you’re golden. No muss no fuss no frothing.