If flavoured vaseline doesn’t float Tig’s boat, try plan B: Vaseline is basically just solid mineral oil, and mineral oil works for hairballs just fine. A typical dose would be about a quarter teaspoonful every day or every other day, on food, but if you start out with that much most cats will just walk away from the bowl. Start out with a drop or two on the food every day. Wait patiently for his suspicious little mind to adapt to the idea, then gradually increase the dose over time. If he develops diarrhoea you’ve overdone the dosing and it’s time to back off a bit.

Although I did have the urge to leap on top of the cabinet and hiss at the doctor at one point. But don’t we all feel that way when we see the bill?

Our kitty girl, Clementine, was a diabetic, and ex-hubby was the brave one giving her an injection each day.

First of all, the babes always riff off your anxiety so if you can do it, keep it doused.

Secondly, with Clementine the diabetic, we made the injection (which hurts little and should be quick, rather than a production) a love-fest. She would get the shot and then she would be fussed over and she would get a treat. Invariably. She loved it! Looked forward to it.

Our Maine Coon, Vincent, all 22 pounds of him, under duress, could not be pilled. The total freak kitty.

We found ways- with butter disguise, food disguise, when it came to medicine. When he was calmed down the ex could open his jaws and pill him. But when he was freaked, even an experienced vet couldn’t do it.

Unsolicited advice: crooning, making it special with treats, gentle care till
Tig gets used to the Laxatone (which, btw, all the cats I have ever loved and known, just love), considering his freaked out rememberance, patience, will do the trick. Show lots of love, patience, dampen your own anxiety… if worse comes to worst, find ways to get them to eat the medicine, like mixed with chicken baby food (it must be Gerbers, I use it for sick cats and they seem to prefer it above all others and it is also recommended by cat rescue people) on your finger- baby him and you will be pleased. Just make it tasy and Tig will not be offended.

Bear, on the other hand, is stupid enough to fall for almost any food trick. That’s a huge relief, since she never lets anybody hold her, ever. If I had to put a pill down her throat it simply would NOT happen.

A cat like Tig, who is both resistant to force and intelligent enough to avoid food tricks, is just not allowed to get terribly ill. That’s all there is to it!

But my cats will eat around the medicated portion of the food without fail.

Mine are difficult to medicate, too, and yet the diabetes injections go SO smoothly. You give it to them subcutaneously, i.e., just beneath the loose skin at the backs of their necks, and, well, their skin is fairly tough there–they’ve been getting bit and scratched there all their lives. So they don’t even notice the needle going in. What’s one little teeny tiny pin prick compared to having been carried around by the scruff all through kittenhood?

That said I hope Tig gets healthy and stays that way. He’s too cute to be sick. Besides, it’s so embarrassing having to bring a combative kitty to the veterinarian’s.