Okay, here’s the skinny: The cat from this thread has become a fixture chez '99. He comes around most mornings, yowling to be let in and fed. Failing a morning arrival, he’ll show up in the afternoon or evening. We always let him in, and keep him around until he pesters us to be let out. I presume he pesters us because he wishes to relieve himself, although he generally doesn’t come right back, so the great outdoors obviously holds other attractions for him as well.
His last departure was on Saturday morning at about 3 a.m. (kaylasmom and I were sleeping too soundly, so he woke up Michaela, and she let him out). We were kind of worried that he didn’t show up Saturday evening or all day Sunday, but he’s skipped a day before, so I wasn’t too worried. But this morning he showed up at around 10 a.m., and had his breakfast as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Until kaylasmom put him on her lap and started stroking him.
Every time she touched his tail, he would howl in protest, and nip at her hand. I examined his tail, and noticed that it seems sort of bent and swollen at the base. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with his ability to walk or jump up onto our bed, so I’m not concerned about a serious spinal injury. I’m thinking he’s just plenty sore, possibly with a broken or sprained tail. I’d like to try to make him more comfortable. So here’s my question:
Are there any made-for-humans pain relievers that actually are safe to administer to a cat? ISTR hearing from a doctor that a certain pain reliever was “accidentally” discovered by vets trying to formulate a form of ibuprofen that’s safe for dogs, but my memory is hazy on the details. The point is that we have several OTC analgesics in the apartment, and if one of them is safe to give to a cat, I’m prepared to try getting a portion of a pill down inside him.
We have aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Also some leftover Vicodin, Fiorocet (which, based on its name, contains acetaminophen), and Tylenol 3.
In the event that swelling indicates the use of an antibiotic, we also have a little cephalexin, and some amoxicillin.
Is any of this stuff safe to try on a ten-pound kitty? I’m going to be googling for the answers as well. Thanks in advance for any responses.