The trouser leg method.......

We have to take our cat to the vets for his claws trimmed even though I have some claw trimmers. We can't hold him, he just goes berserk. I have looked online for tips but try as we might we can't manage to do them ourselves. Actually it's only a couple of claws that catch everything. Any advice would be welcome.

SloeGinny Clever cat!

we've always used a towel to wrap around cats- but trouser leg sounds good- will try as we have to cut Pudding's claws. She is very old and does not climb trees anymore, so we need to cut them twice a year as they curl in.

We had a Siamese cat who needed a daily tablet and was very resistant to taking them. I had an old shopping bag that she could sit comfortably in with her head out, zipped it up so that she was secured in it, then popped the pill in (the applicators are very good). This was immediately followed by a tasty treat. No gloves needed, no fuss.

She would never accept the pill without being in the bag, but at 6pm every day would go and put herself in the bag and yowl until she got her pill and treat, so I guess the stress was minimal!

Dear old Maurice was no problem at all, just squidge a bit of cheese (Stilton for preference) around the pill and he would eat it with no problem.

Hide them squeezed in the middle of those soft treat things or crush and mix with butter.

We used to stuff our old cat up a dressing gown sleeve to administer pills. We had to stop though after he passed out once. We got such a fright. Poor thing he must have been so stressed. Another cat Tam used to take pills no bother at all- until one day I found a neat pile of tablets that he'd spat out behind a cupboard. Just showed the tablets wouldn't have made any difference.

I knew I hadn't imagined it Thanks Nfk !

Thanks to to merlot although I didn't actually have any of the sticky furball stuff, I did briefly toy with the idea of peanut butter but luckily I found an absolutely brilliant applicator!

It's called a "Shelley" , it's absolutely brillant, I can't praise it enough! Talk about multi purpose! Not only does it make giving cats tablets a piece of cake, it also puts new zips in trousers, takes and roots cuttings, and makes great bread!

It's my next door neighbour

Well, she has got 9 cats

Digby didn't know what had happened until it was all over (went off in a bit of a huff) , Oliver Sprout did put up a bit of a struggle, but soon realised that he was in the presence of a greater power!

She's my hero!

My next door neighbour is a vet, and asked me if I would give tablets to one of her cats while she was at work. I told her that I was rubbish at it, but she taught me her way, using one of the syringe-like pill popping thingies.
Grab the cat firmly by the scruff of its neck, standing behind, clear of claws, upon which the mouth gapes a little at the side. Next poke the syringe through the gap, expell the pill and wait for a gulp. Hey presto! I was amazed at how easy it was.

(After the first surprise attack time you may need two people - one with motor cycle gauntlets - to persuade cat towards trousers. But it's still a lot easier as once poured the cat is well and truly pinioned.)

Was it me? Our old cat Fred was large and docile - until it was worm pill time, then he became a ferocious black monster attached to (generally) my arm by four clawed feet and vicious jaws. I'd tried wrapping in towels but he always squirmed free.

Our small slim lady vet came to see our other cat who had that Lente(?) virus thing and took a blood test to see if Fred was infected. (He was clear.) She removed her overall trousers and laid them out on the table with the top undone and open. Picked up Fred and made a fuss of him. Cat on right arm. Chatting away with other hand she picked up the trousers by the top and deftly slid him down one leg head first. His head and scruff popped out the bottom of the leg and the rest of him was immobilised. Injection no problem.

I used this method after that for worm pill treatments. Any straight leg trouser works a treat.

Skinny jeans with my thighs _ Definitelynot nina

I'm sure that somebody posted about their vet reccommending a method involving trousers.

I suppose when dealing with a particularly recalcitrant cat, in addition to gloves/gauntlets mentioned in the helpful instructions provided by Ana a pair of those suede chap things worn by blacksmiths might not be a bad thing........

I hope your not into skinny jeans phoenix cos that conjures up images of trying to thread one of your felines down the leg of a pair of trousers so that it's head comes out the foot end ??

Sorry, can't see why you wouldn't want it included in a thread about giving a cat a pill...

I've never heard of the trouser leg method, but if it involves getting your cat to voluntarily squeeze itself into one it sounds doomed from the start!

Do you have a tube of sticky anti-fur ball stuff that you spread on front legs so they can lick it off? I would crush the tablet, add it to a good dollop of sticky and spread it just above the paw. They have an irresistable urge to lick it.

Good Luck

Ana I should have known that if anyone would, it would be you!

Sorry, phoenix, but I'm in a contrary mood today!

sucs.swan.ac.uk/~cmckenna/humour/animal/catpill.html

(and as you say, it is very funny...)