You may not know it, but I have two cats. The one that’s on the blog so much is Fat Kitty and that’s because whenever I am home, he is glued to my side at all times. Maya, on the other hand, is a skittish, shy, quiet little girl that prefers to hide under the bed whenever we are around!
Thursday morning, Michael and I got up early to chase Maya all over the house to try and catch her. Michael took her to the vet Thursday morning to get her teeth cleaned and to have a chipped tooth looked at. It’s been chipped for about 2 years but she was eating so I thought she was fine. She didn’t seem to be struggling to eat the dry food so I figured the tooth wasn’t bothering her and the vet wasn’t overly concerned at her check-ups. I watched her eat for signs that she was struggling or in pain and she didn’t seem bothered.
They put her under and cleaned her teeth, got her x-rayed and checked the tooth. They said when she was under anesthesia they tested the tooth for hot/cold sensitivity and she flinched! Under anesthesia! So that meant the tooth WAS infected. They also found the start of another tooth having issues. They ended up pulling two teeth. 🙁 My poor baby! She has to be on pain meds for a week and eat wet food for awhile.
I feel so bad that she’s probably been in pain with that tooth. I’m now thinking that she’s been eating the dry food on the other side of her mouth (the side that doesn’t hurt). I feed them both mainly dry food and it honestly didn’t look like she was struggling. I’m such a bad mom!
When I got home from work I held her and gave her lots of loves (and lots of apologies!). I’m kind of glad that Michael is home and around to watch her while she heals from this.
I walked in the door and saw Fat Kitty perched on the kitchen counter like a gargoyle. That meant Maya was under the dining room table. He jumped down and started hissing violently at her. This is not the norm! But it happens when one of them goes to the vet. I think they must smell differently? And that freaks the kitties out. So basically all night was spent keeping Fat Kitty away from Maya because he would just hiss at her.
Michael and I have to chase her twice a day to give her the medicine. She is NOT having any of it! I keep telling Maya it will make her feel good but yeah…she’s a cat. She rolls up into a ball like a potato bug and refuses to open her mouth.
It took some time but we managed to give her the medicine. Then she gets locked in the bathroom with the wet food because she can’t eat dry food for two weeks. My poor baby girl!!
My evening was spent chasing Maya, giving her medicine, calming down Fat Kitty, and finally sitting down to dinner and one TV show. Exhausted!
QUESTION: Have you been through this with your pet? Tips?
kalin
aw poor kitty!
When I trim Bliss’s nails I wait till he’s halfway asleep, then sit next to him and do it-he’s too groggy to fight it right away, so I usually can get at least a couple done before he bolts. Maybe wait till she’s napping to try and give her the meds? It feels kinda mean, but it’s way easier than chasing them.
Lisa Eirene
Unfortunately the medicine is morning and night and it takes two people to catch her so we have to do it before I go to work. It’s a fun way to wake up at 6am to do! But yes, in the past when she’s groggy and not quite alert works best for catching her.
Leigh
If she likes tuna you can put the meds in tuna and they will usually eat it. I have to do that with my current kitty. I had the same problem with another cat I had that unfortunately died. When he came home from the vet current kitty was very upset and tried to attack him. I was told it is because they smell different. I hope Maya will feel better soon. Love your blog.
Leigh
Lisa Eirene
Thank you for the comment, Leigh! I suspect that she smelled differently to Fat Kitty. Maybe like anesthesia or the medicine…
Maya LOVES tuna juice! Not necessarily the junks but she loves the water that comes in the can. That’s a great idea.
Lori
It’s no fun when the kitties are sick.
Our last cat lived to be 18 years old, and she was missing a lot of teeth by that time. We moistened her dry food with water and also fed her wet food. She lost a lot of weight near the end, even though she ate a lot. We would put her medicine into the wet food and she would eat it up. Pilling a cat really stinks LOL!
You can get the medicine made into a formulary so they will eat it. Malt is a really good flavor that kitties love. It can be made into a paste so you can mix it into food. Might be worth the cost of doing that if you are struggling with her meds.
Lisa Eirene
I have two medicine for her, thankfully they are both liquid. The first is a pain killer and the second is antibiotics. We got droppers and syringes to give them to her. The problem is catching her! She HATES being held. And she panics when we chase her to give her medicine. SIGH. My poor baby. 🙁
Thanks for the tip about the dry food. I might do that after the two weeks is up to help her eat.
Deb
I grew up on a farm, so I’ve been giving shots since I was about 7 years old. I nursed our pup through parvo at home, giving her subcutaneous fluid injections and pills. I managed to get my older cat (now pretty much my mom’s older cat) to lay there calmly on her back over my legs while I trimmed all her nails every few weeks. However, giving meds (pills or liquids) to a cat is an entirely different ballgame, and one I will always hate doing.
The last time I had to give oral meds to a cat, the cat bit his tongue, and I ended up covered in blood spray. Not pleasant for anyone involved. I can’t even remember what the medication was for, but he hated me for about a day afterwards!
Lisa Eirene
That’s great that you grew up that way and can have some skills with animals now. Liquid is definitely easier. Maya is actually really good about taking her medicine. The hard part is CATCHING her!!!
Jill
How is Maya? I know how hard it is when our pets are sick. Our puppy was bitten by a copperhead and it was so hard to see her suffering. And giving meds can be so hard. I hope she is better now!!!!
Lisa Eirene
Maya is doing much better, thank you. How is your puppy??? That sounds terrifying!