Andy eyes me with distrust…!
I forgot to close my bedroom door earlier, a strategy that assures Andy is “available” for medicine time with the least hassles.
Andy oftentimes is resting on the top of my dresser, a spot I’ve made a bit more comfortable for sleeping kitty boys. He wasn’t there today because he saw me coming and ran under the bed. I had to bring out Plan B: shake the kitty treat container and put out some treats!
Andy likes to sleep on top of the dresser.
He (and Dougy) came running. I had him then, and he took his medicine like an especially good kitty. Extra treats for Andy! Then he hopped on the PC to take a bath…and to eye me with distrust when I sat in the computer chair to talk on the smart phone.
=(^+^)=
[Andy really was a very, very good boy once I caught him. Seriously! I didn’t have to use the towel to immobilize him or let the medicine warm up first, yet he didn’t struggle or fight taking his dose. Most of it got in him, too!]
Uh oh, Mr. Doug, Mom said she’s gonna remember your towel strategy for the next time she needs to give me meds in my mouth. EEK! Tee hee hee.
Swaddling the kitty helps calm him or her down and helps you have better control of=ver the process. Fewer scratches and possible injuries to the kitty trying to get away make up for a lot of hassles giving your kitty his or her medicine! Andy does turn his head to the side, but he can only turn it so far. I just turn my packaged kitty a little bit to give me better shot at giving him his dose! I keep wet paper towel handy, too, because sometimes some of the medicine (which is sticky) seeps out the sides of his mouth. I used to let him clean himself up, but he couldn’t do as good a job cleaning close to his mouth. The wet paper towel helps keep him neat and pretty! I’ve noticed too, that there is an ideal speed for squirting the liquid – you have to find it for your kitty – that is equal to how fast the kitty can swallow but not so slow the kitty can expel it from his mouth or so fast his mouth overflows because he can’t swallow it fast enough. Whew!
Good boy! Is the medicine effective, though?
It looks like it. Before he was on a medicine the systolic was 167. On a light dose, it came down to a systolic of 140, back in normal range, if a little high. On a new, higher dose, one can hope it’s even better, but the appointment is for October. The main thing is Andy is moree active and seems to feel better than before.
A positive development, though, is Andy lets me hold him for really long times now. I pet and talk calmly to him before I give him his medicine. He likes to put his head on my shoulder then. After a few minutes, I give him his medicine, let him down, and we run (he runs…!) to the place where I put out the treats.
I think the quiet time may help his blood pressure, too.
I am glad the medicine is helping, and I am so happy that Andy-boy is feeling more spry! If quiet time, as well as a little extra cuddling, helps human blood pressure (I can vouch for that personally!), it should help kitties too, don’t you think?
That’s my premise, and it does seem to help. It concerned me that he acted frie=ghtened by me before, and that’s becoming less of an issue. He still gets suspicious (as well he should!) but he comes over to get petted and have his chins scratched or his ears and head rubbed. That’s big for Andy!
I do think he eventually understood that it was meant to make him feel better, and it does!
I hope so, Dolly. He is more calm in recent times, something I attribute to the quiet time before I wrap him in the towel to give him medicine. I talk softly to him, pet him. He puts his head on my shoulder. When I think he is ready, I wrap him and give him his medicine. He’s been reasonably good about taking it, too. I try to give it to him as fast as he can swallow it, which helps too. When I gave it to hima little squirt at a time, it prolonged the misery!
I still think cats are smart enough to figure out a positive change resulting from the ordeal of taking medicine, and Persians are smarter than most.
I like to think so, too! The improved behavior in general suggests it helps him feel better. Before he was on the medicine, he was a listless, sleepy kitty. Now, he’s more involved with Dougy and me, and just a happier kitty.
I am so glad to hear that!
The silver lining behind the cloud!
Good Andy!
I’ve been away for a bit, and it is good to see you and the boys again, Doug!
Always glad to see you are back, Lavinia! I know you guys have lots to do year ’round, but ex=specially around this time.
I took time to go to harp guitar retreat at the end of June, too. Oh, how I loved the time there! It is good to be back home, though, and I missed everyone. I am still catching up with the work and various projects here. Rick took good care of the kitties, although they wore him out. 🙂
Glad to know you treat yourself to something fun! As for Rick, I hope you made him something special to supper when you got home to make up for taking care of all the kitties!
I did. I stopped at the store on the way home, and picked up some things for a special lunch. He said the cats behaved, mostly. He did look a bit worn! 🙂
“…the cats behaved mostly…” LOL! Rick is a nice guy to say so, eh?!
He loves them. 🙂
Good boy Andy.
Seriously, Andy really is a good boy!
do they both need medicine & what is it for?
No, just Andy. Dougy had some eye problems (infection) in past. That required drops. I guarantee he was NOT a good boy about those.Silly cat!
andy… grate job buddy; we noe medisin time iz crapperz but…..itz for yur own good ~~~~~ 🙂 ♥♥
That’s what I tell him: “We gotta do it, Andy. We gotta do it!”
Love how you write: Especially good boy – and then add, did not have to wrap him, most of his medicine went in …
We regard any success as good! LOL! Thanks! I enjoy your style as well, though Google translate really needs a tune-up on German. (I try reading it in German, for practice, but I am very rusty. For that matter, my best has never been too good when it comes to German!)
I just love your boys. They are fabulous!
Thanks! I do,m too. They are a nuisance, then they make me laugh. Mostly they are a joy, and I love watching them be cats.
A great open line! hahaha
Thanks! All of that running around to catch Andy pumps copious amounts of blood to my tired brain, and that stimulates the creative process! LOL!
well done Andy… I’m glad the treat trick still works… but if not then we are really in the bucket LOL
I think the treat tick will always work with Andy. He may be a little guy, but he is a regular >snicker< chow hound! (I really enjoyed your little adventure with Ben and Jerry ice creams the other day. That must have been hundreds of euros worth of ice cream by the time the two of you were done! I think the peanut butter one would have been my favorite, too.)