How to Give a Cat a Pill

At the time this was recorded, Molly was a 10-year-old orange domestic short-hair feline. She had had a litter of kittens before she was even a year old, which damaged her kidneys. The kidney damage led to hypertension, which the vet and we manage with a daily pill. Here's an example of how difficult cats can be when taking medication...

Molly's condition gradually worsened, and the hypertension caused blindness. The blood tests showed continually rising toxin loads, and over the years we added daily sub-cutaneous fluid injections, topical application of more of the same drug (amlodipine) that's in the pill; then we added a probiotic pill that was supposed to cause "enteric dialysis"; then we added Zantac injections with the fluid to reduce stomach acid; and finally, erythropoetin injections to boost her red blood cell count. She was patient, docile, and co-operative throughout it all, and continued to be a sweet, loving and very lovable cat.

When she finally "crashed" on January 3, 2011, I knew it was over. There was simply no further treatment available to us. The toxins in her blood had built up to the point where she did not want to eat, drink, or take her medication; nor, in the end, could she even walk. I took her to the vet who administered the ultimate kindness, and Molly passed away quickly and serenely, with her head resting in my hand and my tears staining her fur. She was 14 years old.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• cat
• pill