Last weekend, my beloved cat, Alice, was so lethargic that she had to be carried from place to place in the house, and when she did walk a short ways, she looked like she was drunk. We were so concerned that I immediately began syringe-feeding her small amounts of (homemade) pedialyte every 20 – 30 minutes in order to prevent dehydration, as she was not eating or drinking. I got her an emergency appointment on Monday, and they immediately sedated her (she hates vets, often trying to bite them), hydrated her, and did blood tests. They decided that she had a bacterial infection in her pancreas and her liver was failing for going so long without eating anything. The veterinarian kindly informed me that if we could not get her to eat something IMMEDIATELY, one way or another, there was nothing more they could do to help her. They gave her an anti-nausea shot and I brought her home, determined to get some food down her, by hook or by crook. Additionally, she had a 21-day regimen of antibiotics to take to fight the infection, but the first dose I administered was a failure: she drooled it all up immediately.
Fortunately, I was able to figure out a successful way to get both food and medicine into Alice, thus saving her life. She is recovering, although she’s still not eating as much as I would like her too.
Since I’ve been using my regimen for about a week and I’m in the mood to write a tutorial, I thought I would share my process.
Supplies:
- Grooming bag – this is essential, I could not have saved my cat without it. Buy it now and get your cat accustomed to it – you never know when you will need it!
Here’s the one I have:
(Image from Amazon.com) - Blender – any will do. Or use a food processor, immersion blender, etc.
- Can of quality catfood (I use Merrick’s Before Grain)
- Syringe for feeding (mine is about as thick as my thumb – I wouldn’t go much larger).
- Syringe for measuring liquid medication (if needed)
- Pill Shooter for administering pills & capsules (if needed) – I bought mine from the vet for $4.
Here’s one similar to mine:
(Image from Amazon.com) - Jar or other container to store pureed catfood mixture in.
- Shot glass or other small, narrow container to mix medicine in.
- Paper towels or washcloth for cleanup.
- 15 – 30 minutes.
Steps:
1. Prepare the feeding mixture: put the can of catfood into the blender and puree, adding just enough warm water to get things moving. Mixture should be thick and smooth when finished, like a melted milkshake or a thick gravy. Test it by pulling some up into your feeding syringe and then pushing it back out: it should flow smoothly with no blockage. Pour the mixture into the jar and store in the refrigerator when not in use.
2. Mix medication (if needed): If the puree is straight from the frig, microwave for 15-40 seconds to soften, or place the container in a pot of hot water until mixture has softened and re-liquefied. Once the puree is softened and warm (like you would give to a baby, no hotter), pull out about a feeding-syringe full and place into the shot glass. Return remaining puree to the frig. Measure out the dose of liquid medicine prescribed by your veterinarian and add to the shot glass. Use the feeding-syringe to stir it in thoroughly. If giving pills/capsules, load the pill shooter.
3. Bag the cat: Place the cat in the grooming bag, following the manufacturer’s directions. Do this on the floor if possible, so your cat doesn’t have to worry about falling off the edge of something (and neither do you). You can practice this with treats and praise when kitty is not sick; it makes everything easier when you really need it.
Here’s Alice in the bag – she’s not very happy, but she is calm:
(Excuse the mess, vacuuming up litter was not my top priority at the moment!)
4. Pill the cat: If giving a pill, do it now. Aim to get the tip of the pill shooter just behind the back teeth and then depress the plunger. If your cat spits the pill out, just try again. Approach from the side of the head, not the front for better success. Be patient – the pill shooter means you don’t have to worry about your fingers. If the pill is very large, ask your vet if you can cut it into smaller pieces to make it easier to go down. Or ask for smaller capsules or for liquid medication instead.
Immediately after pilling the cat, follow up with a syringe of puree or warm water. NEVER dry pill a cat (see Pilling Cats and Erosive Esophagitis). After all, how would you like it if someone shoved pill down your throat and didn’t give you any water to wash it down with?5. Liquid medication/Feeding: Here’s how to give the syringe of medicine mixture, feeding puree, or warm water:
A. Pull a little into the feeding syringe. NOT TOO MUCH! The control on most syringes is not very good and you don’t want to choke or drown your cat. Besides, a little at a time is much less messy. Here’s about the amount I usually pull up, maybe even a little less:
(No medicine for this feeding session, so I am drawing directly from the puree storage jar, and not from the shot glass.)B. Gently place the syringe tip into the cat’s mouth, coming from the corner. You are aiming for either the tongue or for the pocket in her jaw, between her skin and her teeth. You do NOT want to place the syringe as far back as you placed the pill shooter.
C. Slowly depress the syringe in little bursts, removing the syringe after each burst to allow the cat to swallow. Repeat until you can’t draw up any more from the shot glass if giving medication, or when you feel the time is right, if feeding without medication. Don’t over do the feeding – better several small sessions than one big one. Pet and praise often during the process (unless kitty doesn’t care to be petted – don’t force it on her just because she can’t get away). Make sure kitty is situated as comfortably as possible and be patient. Immediately clean up any spills, drips, or dribbles. DON’T RUSH! If kitty aspirates (breathes in) the puree, she could develop pneumonia, which will only make a bad situation worse.
D. Release kitty from the bag, removing neck fastener last.
E. Clean up.
All Done! Until next time, anyway. Yes, a little bit of the medicine dose is lost with this method, but most of the medicine ends up IN the cat, not ON the cat (or you, or the floor), which is a big improvement over the unmixed method! If you are worried about the loss, ask your vet to recommend a dose that takes the loss into account.
Once you do this a few times, it becomes routine and mostly stress free, for both you and kitty.
And if this isn’t working to get food into your kitty’s stomach, ask your vet about a feeding tube (see Feeding Tubes Save Lives/Feeding Tubes For Cats).
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