Sidd, my ole guy going on 15, went to the doctor several weeks ago. Dr. Jill recommended that we have a “Senior panel” done on him since he’s gone from a husky 17 pounder to 14 pounds. Now, that happened over six years, but he’s lost almost a pound in the last two years. Otherwise, he’s pretty normal except for the poop on the living room rug. More about that later.
Sidd was found by my friend Deeg over at the state hospital grounds. She wanted to add him to her family, but her cat Bill would not allow another alpha male in his home. I only had one cat at the time and welcomed him into our little family. Spooky was not happy at all, but she began to like him because he knew his place (on the floor – not the bed). They became fast friends (well, eventually) and when Spooky died, it was evident that Sidd was lost.
Sidd is named for one of my favorite books, Siddhartha. Sidd almost died when I first got him, and I felt I took a difficult journey with him almost immediately on taking him in. Anyway, that’s why I named him Sidd.
Back to the visit. The blood tests came back that he might have liver or thyroid problems and we needed to give him two pills a day. Sure. He may be just 14 pounds, but he’s not use to doing anything that he doesn’t want to do. What made it worse is the one pill had to be given to him first thing in the morning and he couldn’t eat for an hour. Well, if he couldn’t eat for an hour, the other two would also have to wait. So here we are starting this pill thing that he doesn’t want to do, doesn’t understand, and none of them get to eat first thing in the morning. Not a happy family.
Anyway, Dave and I struggled with giving him the pills. One we gave first thing in the morning; the other in the late afternoon. The late afternoon pill session gave us time to get back our strength from the morning struggle. Well, after two weeks I turned to the Internet. There I learned on a You Tube video about how this one cat owner positioned herself just so, threw the pill down her cat’s throat and then gave him a treat or two. To quote her, it was their time together. GREAT! That’s what we’ll do. So I positioned myself on the floor, Dave threw the pill down his throat and then I gave him a treat. That worked great – for two days. So back to the Web and then I found the answer – pill pockets. I had never heard of them.
I thought they were a little pricey, but if they worked I didn’t care.
All you do is slip the pill into the pill pocket and close it up. So the first time I took Sidd again into the bathroom, where we were giving the pills away from the other “kids.” I put the pill pocket down on the floor and he ate it. Then I gave him a couple treats. Wow! Worked great but how long will it be before he gets it and spits out the pill. Well, it’s been over a week and now he comes to me. I just call him and he follows me into the bathroom. Amazing! I sure wish I would have known about this product earlier.
I did get his results from his lab work yesterday. Everything is back to normal, but she wants him to stay on the liver pill for a little while longer and then check his weight. I hate that he has to be taking a pill (now only one) but it’s so much easier will this pill pocket.
Another problem with Sidd being an older gentleman is that he gets constipated. That’s why he sometimes poops on the carpet. Dr. Jill recommended we put this in his morning wet cat food. It has worked great. Instead of almost every daily poop on the carpet, it may be only a couple times a month. So what is this miracle solution?
I just put a little bit in his wet cat food in the morning.
Now to the last cat problem. This one doesn’t involve Sidd, or at least I don’t think he’s the cause. Someone (Shel) has been going right outside the box. I was having to clean the laundry room floor every day. There had to be a solution so it was back to the Internet. Maybe the litter box sides were too short. I found some recommendations of these larger Rubbermaid ones with high sides. They, too, were pricey but if it works, I don’t care.
And it has. I put down the doggie pads just in case, but there has been no misses since I bought these. Yeah! Another problem solved – at least for the time being.
Now we can all rest a bit easier. Sidd sure is.
Awwww, sweet little Sidd… glad he is better. Had no idea about the pill pocket, thanks! We have three Labs and I know what you mean. Two of them are brothers and are the oldest, both have kidney problems and hip dysplasia and one has arthritis down his spine too. But it doesn’t matter what the cost, they get taken care, they are family.
Cindy Sue, Yep, I picked up his meds today. They are more expensive than mine! But as you said, they are family. I’ve never had dogs but I understand they are much easier to feed pills although they do make pill pockets for dogs.
The things we do for our cats. I spent the last months of Smokey’s life cleaning up after him when his cancer made his bowel spasmodic.
I will remember about the pill pockets if I ever have to pill a cat regularly.
Glad Sidd is back to “normal”.
Aw, poor Sidd. Glad to know he’s better! Never heard of the pill pockets but they look great! I couldn’t give my cats pills regularly, it would be terribly stressful for all of us…so the pill pockets look like a really good solution. My two cats (brothers) nearly died as kittens too, but since then they have been the picture of health thank goodness. They’re still young though, going on 3 🙂
Hope Sidd continues to be well! The last picture is so sweet, he definitely doesn’t look 15!
Kristina, It was soooo stressful on us until we got these pill pockets. Now, Sidd just waits for his “treat” in the morning. Yep, he’s a handsome fellow. He won’t be 15 until April so I guess he’s really just on the other side of 14.