How to give a cat a pill:
1. Sit on sofa. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your elbow as though you
were going to give a bottle to a baby. Talk softly to it.
2. With right hand, position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth
and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. (be patient)
As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
Drop pill into mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
3. Pick the pill up off the floor and go get the cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left
arm and repeat process. Sit on floor in kitchen, wrap arm around cat as before,
drop pill in mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
4. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Scoot across floor to pick
up pill, and go find the cat. Bring it back into the kitchen. 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. Drop pill into mouth.
5. Pry claws from back legs out of your arm. Go get the cat, pick up half-dissolved
pill from floor and drop it into garbage can.
6. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet. Call spouse from
backyard. 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 rod, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy
new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from
hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. 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 glass of water 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. Place cat in cupboard and
close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert
spoon. Flick pill down throat with rubber band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress
to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and
fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to
neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take another pill
from foil wrap.
13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of
dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open
with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak.
Hold head vertically and pour one cup of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches
fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call at furniture
shop on way home to order new table.
15. Get last pill from bottle. Go into bathroom and get a fluffy towel. Stay in the
bathroom with the cat, and close the door.
16. Sit on bathroom floor, wrap towel around kitty, leaving only his head exposed.
Cradle kitty in the crook of your arm, and pick up pill off of counter.
17. Retrieve cat from top of shower door (you didn't know that cats can jump 5 feet
straight up in the air, did you?), and wrap towel around it a little tighter, making
sure its paws can't come out this time. With fingers at either side of its jaw, pry it
open and pop pill into mouth. Quickly close mouth (his, not yours).
18. Sit on floor with cat in your lap, stroking it under the chin and talking gently to it
for at least a half hour, while the pill dissolves.
19. Unwrap towel, open bathroom door. Wash off scratches in warm soapy water,
comb your hair, and go find something to occupy your time for 7-1/2 hours.
20. Arrange for SPCA to get cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any
hamsters.
How to give a dog a pill:
1. Wrap in bacon