I frequently have to pill my cat Tikva, and it would be a lot easier if the pill poppers came in a reasonable size. Say four inches or less. But no, every one I can find that lists the size is at least six inches. And most of them don’t even say a size. It is very awkward to try to get something into your cat’s mouth at the best of times, never mind trying position the popper while at the same time wrestling with a plunger that’s several inches away. There has to be something like that out on the market, right?
My old cat, St. George, is sadly deceased.
I understand cats have different tolerances for different applications of medicine, and a “pill popper” (which I assume is a “syringe/gun” type thing to get the pill down the cats throat to the point where he will swallow it) might be valuable…
However, having taken St. George to the vet several times in his 15 year life, I feel like the most effective method to feed a cat a pill is to cradle them in your arms, comforting them and making them calm… and then a suprise “meal” (our vet wrapped the pill in bacon fat) but it still got pushed far down enough that the cat would swallow.
I think what is important to the cat is the after care. The indignity and unpleasantness of the “force fed” pill can quickly be forgotten with a little love and afection.
Later edit: I note that this is in GD, so my anecdote is probably not the appropriate first response. Please do not take it as criticism; cats are all as different as people, and I am no means an expert; having had only 6 cats in my life.
St. G was the first one for whom I was primary carer.
They’re just plastic syringes with rubber tips, right? Why can’t you just cut one down to the length you want and put the tip back on?
Most have tabs on the outer (non-mouth inserted) end, which your fingers hold when you push the plunger in. If you just cut it down, you would be left with a smooth cylinder with nothing to hold onto.
See a picture here.
Right. I’m saying to cut the business end. Others I’ve seen don’t have that type of mouth, they have a rubber tip that the pill goes into, and the plunger pushes it out from behind.
Seems like it should be a simple matter of just cutting the shaft and plunger to whatever length they want, then put the tip back on. Is there a reason that wouldn’t work?
I’ve always used Pill Pockets with my cats, although one of my current cats doesn’t like them, so I might have to get one of these things if ever she needs to take pills.
The part that the tip is attached to is a specific shape, I wouldn’t be able to just put it anywhere back on the shaft. Also, I’m worried that if I didn’t reattach it right, it could come off and be a choking hazard.
Cutting it in half the other way does sound worth trying, if I can find something to cut it with. Household scissors aren’t enough.
ETA: Jewelry pliers are enough. Though I may have made it too short. I guess I’ll have to field test it and see.
Well, at least these things are cheap.
Good luck!