Losing Battles with the Cat

The cat has an itchy rash.

According to the vet, most times that a cat is itchy, it is because of fleas. Gwen is an indoor-only cat who is on flea preventative, and they found no fleas on her. If it's not fleas, then it's mites. If it's not mites, then it's probably a bacterial infection of the skin. And if it's not bacteria, then it might be ringworm.

Tested for mites and bacteria. Came back negative. Ringworm test is not back yet.

Gwen has been put on two medications: an anti-flea pill because whenever a cat is itchy, it's fleas. Even when it isn't. And a twice-a-day antihistamine. My priority is giving her the antihistamine because that is, in my opinion, more likely to help.

Ways in which I have been unsuccessful in getting a pill into the cat:

1. Hide pill in pill-hiding cat treat. Cat started to eat the treat, bit it in half, tasted pill, and spit it out.
2. Hide pill in wet cat food. Rejected entirely.
3. Hide pill in sushi-grade tuna. Rejected entirely.
4. Hold cat down and try to pry her mouth open. Cat's jaw is remarkably strong. Unable to open cat's mouth enough to insert pill.
5. Grind pill up, mix with a bit of unflavored gelatin and smear on fur in hopes she would groom it off. Cat is sleeping, ungroomed, gelatin-side-down on a fabric chair cushion.

I have determined that the cat has decided to be itchy. My goal of avoiding bacteria-filled puncture wounds (such as cat bites) is a higher priority to me than the cat's comfort.

Giving injectable antibiotics to a goldfish was much simpler than giving a pill to a cat. Especially since the goldfish was even dumber than the cat and blind in one eye, which made him easy to sneak up on.