A couple of threads back, a kind commenter asked after my lord and master, Kitten Tikka Masala.
I’m sorry to report he’s been fighting allergies all summer, which means that yours truly has been relearning the proper technique for feeding pills to clawed animals that don’t take kindly to medication.
I’m better now.
Anyway, as promised in that exchange from a day or so ago, here are a couple of photos from this morning, showing Tikka in all his glory:
That’s his “You looking at me” glare
Then there’s this:
Awww. What a nice widdle pussums.
Don’t be fooled.
In either guise, though, tell me he wouldn’t make a better Speaker of the House than any of the available opposable-thumb-equipped possibilities.
And, of course, talk about whatever.
ETA: Bonus pick — Tikka’s come hither head shot:
I swoon.
Thoughtful Today
“the proper technique for feeding pills to clawed animals that don’t take kindly to medication.”
Mixing it with a little tuna or salmon might help. Even dousing it with the water in a tuna or salmon can might do it (depending on the size/type of med).
mai naem mobile
Tikka Masala sounds furin,maybe even a hint musleemy. Nah ganna happen with this republican partay.
? Martin
@Thoughtful Today: The proper technique is to make your kids do it so they can learn ‘responsibility’, or some shit that they’ll buy.
Tom Levenson
@Thoughtful Today: Unfortunately, w. pills for allergies the goal is to reduce exposure to potential allergens. Tikka gets one kind of hyper-nastiness-free dry food and that’s it. No salmon for him, poor fellow.
@? Martin: My son didn’t fall for that. And truly, Tikka takes (a tiny measure of) shit from just one hooman. Me. So I’m stuck.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Beautiful person owner you have there. :)
Pilling a cat:
– Cut a straw in half, pinch and melt at one end on one-half piece of straw.
– Grind pill(s), use small paper funnel to pour powdered pill(s) into pinched straw. Gently set aside, to not tamp down!
– Find kitty, bundle in a large towel before the kitty figures out what is going on and kills you.
– Hold bundle securely (second person helps!), tip kitty’s head up/back, gently insert fingers into side of kitty’s mouth enough to make kitty open up. Grab straw, pinch closed about two inches from the open end, place open end down kitty’s throat (not too deep and don’t touch anything in there!), release powder.
– Gently (as possible) hold kitty’s mouth closed (with head still pointed upward) and gently massage throat. Having a squeeze bottle of water nearby can help by giving the kitty a little shot of it to encourage swallowing.
Now let kitty go and if possible, give treats (Whiskas Temptations are like crack for kitties) and beg for forgiveness.
No blood, no wounds and you’re welcome!
Riley's Enabler
It helps if he’s on a counter-height surface. Tuck him into the crook of your arm and hold his scruff fairly firmly. Push at the corner of his mouth until he opens, pop the pill in. Gently stroke chin until he swallows. Follow immediately with a delicious treat of some kind. Then medicate yourself as needed. The corner-push/stroke combo usually sinks even the most persistent spitters.
He’s gorgeous and obvs much smarter than any of the current R’s circling the drain. Tikka for Speaker!
piratedan
well if McCarthy was “in Committee” with Rep Ellers (as alleged), I can understand why the Theorcratic wing of the Teahadis won’t refuse his candidacy. After all, the Teahadis can’t stand hypocrisy or impure behavior as noted by their standard bearer Ms. Davis of Kentucky. Still… this leaves us with 40 Freedom Caucus reps hoilding the GOP hostage because without them, the GOP can’t master their majority and with them, if they don;t get to call the tune, then nothing gets done anyways. Doing the math and understanding our history, the GOP would be loathe to ask the Dems for help and yet many of them know that any semblance of sanity regarding policy or even the simple act of governing goes by the boards if the Freedom Caucus guys get their way.
So do they save the country or does their self-interest prevail, I’m betting on the latter and we’re in for a rough year while these asshats steal the silverware in the name of our lord and excommunicate anyone in the country who doesn’t accept Jeebus as their savior and own a gun. I’m sure that the media will take all of this very seriously because of the outrage revenue generated by hate clicks.
Mike in NC
@Odie Hugh Manatee: To get a pill into our cat, wife holds him on the sofa and opens his mouth, and I launch the pill down his throat.
Tommy
Dad over in my house for about a few days a month. Takes my cat sometime to warm up to you. Dad was over an extended time. Not a fan of cats I might add. I am like you have never met my cat. Cat was all in his face and he loved it. I just joked this is how the world is where I live, cat, cat, cat!
Mike in NC
@piratedan: Mark Sanford is the obvious compromise for Speaker. He sinned, begged for forgiveness, and the idiot voters in SC rewarded him with an indefinite seat in the House.
piratedan
@Mike in NC: I could see it Mike, then again, I could see a boatload of other scenarios too….
I’m simply scared that these elected folks will try and impose their own version of reality on the rest of us…
dmsilev
Apparently John Boehner wants Paul Ryan to step up. Even though Ryan has publicly said, including a statement this morning, that he doesn’t want the job.
Roger Moore
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
How to give a cat a pill:
1) Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3) Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.
7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8) Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil, and blow down drinking straw.
9) Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10) Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of Scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12) Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.
13) Tie the little @!!@#@#$%’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of steak filet. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14) Consume remainder of Scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and remove pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15) Arrange for SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.
How to give a dog a pill:
1) Wrap it in cheese.
Thoughtful Today
“Find kitty, bundle in a large towel before the kitty figures out what is going on and kills you.”
It’s amazing how fast a cat can learn what “large towel” means. Or how willing a cat is to teach a person what ‘herding cats’ really means.
Hope you find a solution.
Comrade Luke
Question for cat/pet owners.
I had a cat for 12yrs, who passed away at 16 in July. Best pet I’ve ever had. I’ve been around a lot of pets – mostly cats – that can spend most of the time out of view and only show up to be fed. My cat was the opposite: she was my bud, and was with me anywhere I went in the house. It was great.
I’m going to take a while before getting another, but I was thinking that when I did, I’d get *two*, either a young cat and an older one (because older cats have a harder time getting adopted), or siblings.
I visited a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago, and he has a pair of mini pinschers who are siblings, and he says that while he enjoys them, they don’t spend a whole lot of time “bonding” because the dogs are very bonded to each other.
Which leads to the question: would I have this issue with two cats? Is it something that would happen with *any* two cats, or is there something special wrt siblings?
Thoughtful Today
@Roger Moore: lol
I saw the ncbi.nlm.nih.gov link and thought ‘wtf?’ Too funny.
Roger Moore
@dmsilev:
Of course not. As Speaker, he would actually have to get things done, and he would be held responsible if they didn’t. As head of the budget committee, he only has to come up with a ridiculous, impossible budget that avoids massive deficits with pixie dust, and everyone treats him like a genius.
Roger Moore
@Thoughtful Today:
I was sort of surprised to see that at PubMed, too.
p.a.
@mai naem mobile: Nah. Hindoo, therefore…A WITCH!
Tommy
@Comrade Luke: I always wanted a cat. When I got one I got two. Sisters. I’d seen friends with this. Always seemed to work well. Little lady lost her sister years and years ago, but pretty sure their time together was wonderful.
dmsilev
@Roger Moore: Yeah, this. I don’t really see Ryan as having much in the way of cat-herding skills (Look! Thread synergy!), and if he has ambitions to try for the Presidency, Chair of the Pixie-Dust Committee would seem to be a better place to start than Speaker.
Gin & Tonic
@Comrade Luke: We have two cats who are sisters. They are very different in terms of activity level, general physique and temperament, and while they get along fine, they don’t really “bond” with each other in any meaningful way. They are indoor/outdoor cats, so in the warm(er) months they’re out more than they are in, but during the winter, they hang out indoors most of the time. They’re not our “buds” in the dog sense of following you from room to room, because they are cats. But they know when it’s bedtime, and they will cuddle up with Mrs G&T almost every night.
Iowa Old Lady
A friend of mine was once watching a cat while her neighbor was on vacation when the cat got sick. The friend took the cat to the vet, and the vet wanted her to go home and give the cat an enema.
Contemplate that one for a while.
Schlemazel
@dmsilev:
Man, Boner must HATE Paul Ryan a lot! I can see why but still thats a pretty telling statement.
Roger Moore
@Gin & Tonic:
My cat follows me from room to room, and he curls up at my feet when I’m sitting on the sofa. He also runs to the door whenever he hears people walking past outside in the hopes they’re coming to visit him.
Tommy
@Iowa Old Lady: Wow. I can “man handle” my cat if I wanted. Pick her up and do all kinds of things. We got trust going on. I can’t wrap my mind around giving her an enema. I think our trust of each other would fall away at this point :).
Roger Moore
@dmsilev:
I guess it must be pretty obvious; KThug just posted approximately the same thing.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Roger Moore: Would you like your internets sent to you at work or home? LMFAO!
Roger Moore
@BillinGlendaleCA:
If I had made that up, I’d deserve it, but I’m just copying somebody else.
bemused
@Comrade Luke:
Ha, I think one cat or two cats will bond with their human(s) about the same amount from our several decades experience in both situations. It’s depends on the cat disposition. Come to think of it, when we’ve had a two cat home, they didn’t always get along with each other but were quite fond of us.
Thoughtful Today
@Roger Moore: Yup.
Cats often like the company of their pride and keep close.
bemused
@dmsilev:
More like herding Tasmanian Devils.
Comrade Luke
@Gin & Tonic: I think I got lucky with my old cat. She was almost like a dog in some ways, to the point that I wish I would have leash trained her if I’d thought about it when she was younger.
At any rate, it’s good to hear from others here that it’s not a sure thing that if I get a couple of cats I’ll actually see them from time to time :)
Just One More Canuck
Baud-Tikka 2016
gogol's wife
@Comrade Luke:
We have two sibling cats (and had three before their sister passed away). They interact with us at least as much as with each other. Sometimes sibling cats don’t even like each other.
dmsilev
@bemused: Wolverines!
JPL
@Just One More Canuck: Tikka would be a fine Secretary of State. You have to admit with that stare, Putin would melt.
bemused
@dmsilev:
lol
catclub
Did anyone else see this?
Keith G
Years ago, the old man of the house was my orange tabby, C.C. When those times came when I was to give him pills, he would cooperate like the champion gentleman he was.
About a quarter of the way through that first course of pills, I stumbled across the corner of the living room where he had spit many of them back out. The guy was so smooth.
benw
@Comrade Luke: Sorry you lost your bud. My advice is to find a good no-kill shelter to adopt. They’ve often had some cats for awhile and can give you a pretty good feel for the personalities of your adoptee(s). If you asked for a couple of cats that were both people and cat friendly, you’d have the best chance of getting a couple of new buddies who are also good at keeping each other company when you’re away. And as you point out, if you ask for one of them to be older, the volunteers at the shelter will do back-flips! Good luck!
catclub
@Comrade Luke:
I think sibling dogs bond too tightly to each other. At least, I think I read it on the internet.
Sherparick
@piratedan: And remember both sides. This is all Obama’s fault, in some karmic way per Ron Fournier.
Mike in NC
Local TV news talking about Republicans in DC in disarray. Didn’t see that one coming.
Comrade Luke
@benw: Yea, I”m going to with a local no-kill shelter, but I’m going to hold off for a few months, both because I don’t want to rush into it, and because I have a couple of trips planned and I don’t want to get a pet or pets and immediately leave them. The holidays are gonna suck, though.
I really like the shelter. They require that the cats are spayed, and not de-clawed (though I don’t know how they could enforce it), and when I went there to drop some things off, they encouraged me to wait a while. They’ve had a lot of experiences where people get a cat immediately after losing one, only to return them a short time later because they weren’t ready. It was refreshing to hear people encourage the right thing, instead of being in a rush to get the cats in homes.
piratedan
@benw: that is how we adopted my awesome cat Jake, I sat down in the room of cats and he sauntered his furry ass over to me, leapt into my lap, sniffed me and indicated that I would just be worthy enough of his undying devotion.
Snarkworth
Love the pics of Tikka’s nose.
*boop*
Josie
@Comrade Luke: I have a brother and sister pair. They sometimes love each other and sometime argue. They are also very loving to us, so being bonded to each other doesn’t seem to interfere with their feelings about us. I think two from the same litter is a good idea, since they will be used to each other from the beginning and there will be no issues to solve.
sacrablue
@Comrade Luke: We have three siblings. They don’t spend time with each other anymore. Each has their own favorite human and we all obey their commands.
Shelters often taken in bonded cats whose owners have died. Our local shelter often attempts to get people to adopt bonded pairs.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@Comrade Luke: It will vary. I have two male cats who snuggle and groom each other, but that are perfectly willing to include me, too.
Gravenstone
@Comrade Luke: My cats are a bonded brother sister pair. While they spend a fair amount of time together, they are also quite happy to spend time with me. So I wouldn’t preclude a pair of siblings if you get the opportunity.
Howard Beale IV
@Comrade Luke: Get siblings.
BruceJ
@Roger Moore: I’ve had three dogs able to appear to gulp down a cheese-wrapped pill and spit it out a minute later perfectly de-cheesed.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
I like my coworker, I really do, but sometimes he’s so Canadian polite that it drives me up the wall. If I am handing you my tape dispenser, that means I’m okay lending it to you. JUST TAKE THE GODDAMNED TAPE DISPENSER AND STOP APOLOGIZING, YOU CANADIAN BASTARD!!!
Bex
https://youtu.be/tMzYqXmsasc
Little tuxie cat is a survivor. It’s the tinyest wheelchair Handicapped Pets Canada has ever made.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@Comrade Luke:
We have three cats, and they all spend just as much time with us as they do with each other. I think it’s more of a concern with dogs because dogs form a hierarchy and it’s possible for them to form one that excludes you. Cats just want to hang out and be buddies without that dominance crap, so it’s fine to have two or even three. I think Werebear has four and they’re all still very interested in human interaction.
One thing I’ve definitely noticed is that my husband and I have different “jobs” as far as the cats are concerned. They don’t like the way he works the feather toy, but they prefer the way he does belly rubs and scritches. So they’ll approach each of us for what they want based on what they think we’re good at.
Sandia Blanca
@Comrade Luke: We adopted two adult cats from the shelter, and they were a “bonded pair.” They often curl up together and groom each other, but each has a distinctive personality and has bonded with the humans in their own way, too.
My vote is to get TWO older cats, preferably from the same shelter so the staff can tell you how they get along together.
Kristine
That cat gives serious “f*ck you” face.
J R in WV
@Roger Moore:
Our younger dog (3 years old or so) left our farm and wnet down the holler to the neighbor’s farm, I admit she was following me after I dropped the trash off.
Neighbor’s dog is very large (90 lbs) and psycho about other female dogs, whom she hates. So she ate my young lab up. All afternoon Monday at Vets, they shaved much of Alice’s body, and stitched up the long wounds. Also gave us lots of pills to give Alice.
The first 3 doses we laid into a spoon of Alpo, covered them with another spoonful of Alpo, and she ate it all with as much gusto as a dog on pain pills can muster. Then last night she ate the Alpo and spit the pills out.
So now I’m jamming 4 pills (2 at a time) down her throat. She doesn’t fight me, but she doesn’t help out either. I mostly get them down her, sometimes after a second try.
Critters are such a pain in the butt !! But we love them, so we have to do the best we can.
benw
@Comrade Luke: That sounds perfect. Sometimes it’s hard to find sane rescue folks, for obvious reasons. You can make a couple of no-pressure visits to the shelter and see if a pair of kitties sucks you in. Enjoy it!
@piratedan: I like Jake already, although you sound like a smelly pirate.
reality-based
OK, really late to this thread – but seriously, how come no one told Mr Levenson about Pill Pockets? Little hollow tubes of pure chicken gelatin. Place pill in pocket. Offer to cat. Cat gobbles it up, says please sir, may I have another?
http://www.petco.com/product/106488/Greenies-Chicken-Feline-Pill-Pockets.aspx
One of those products that the first time you try it, you go, My God, where has THIS been all my life?
I’ve struggled with the cat/pill problem for my 30 years of owning cats – two years ago when my dear departed Edith (The ball fetching cat who lived to 18, who I lost the spring, I still weep) started with the failing kidneys, my Vet told me about these things.To think of all the blood i’ve shed over the years for nothing!
Hi thee immediately to a Petco, or a vet, or Somebody who as them –
Paul in KY
Great looking cat, Tom! Please give him a scritch for me.
Paul in KY
@Roger Moore: Have seen that before, but very funny!
Manyakitty
@reality-based: I swear by Pill Pockets for Heisenberg’s biweekly aspirin, but Schrodinger and Manya view them with disdain. Schrodinger does best with liquid medicine shot down his throat, and I just have to hope Manya stays healthy because she literally foams at the mouth when I try to give her a pill.
Paul in KY
@Comrade Luke: Siblings generally will have a closer bond. They should bond, however, with the Great Dispenser of the Food.
Paul in KY
@Iowa Old Lady: Why oh why wouldn’t the vet want to have that opportunity?
Paul in KY
@Roger Moore: I have 2 cats basically like that (when it comes to me).
gvg
Our local grocery chain Publix will custom mix/flavor vet prescribed meds, your choice of flavors. I don’t know if the allergies make it possible but you might ask the vet what wouldn’t be bad. also maybe the meds are not to bad tasting and could just be sprinkled powdered or liquid on the food?
I have heard some old owner run pharmacies do this too.