litterbox trouble

Have to give kitty a liquid medicine? Kitty less than cooperative?

The best option is to mix the stuff with some canned cat food or other
treat. However, if you do this, the cat must eat *all* of it.

 If you must administer the medicine directly, I've had
excellent luck with the following method. I am deliberately not patenting
this procedure and making a fortune travelling and doing demonstrations- I
want to bestow it freely upon all bloodied and beleaguered cat parents
everywhere.

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Ask for one of the needle-less hard plastic syringes (not a dropper). Fill
it and hold it gripped in your right hand like a knife you're getting ready
to stab someone overhand with... your thumb on the plunger.

Approach the kitty on the floor and swiftly drop to your knees straddling
hir.

Sit back on your heels so that s/he is blocked from backing up. Your thighs
on each side prevent a sideways escape.

Encircle hir chest with your left arm and hug hir firmly but not *too* tight
against you, slipping your left hand under the chin to tilt hir head up.

If you perfect this hold, it's an excellent one- pretty much total
immobility, little chance of escape, and there's no good opportunity to
reach any part of you with claws or teeth. It also leaves you with your
right arm totally free to accomplish whatever you need to be accomplishing.
You do have to be firm, quick and smooth- especially after you do it a few
times and you've lost the element of surprise.

Push the syringe tip into the side of the mouth and push it back along the
cheek, far enough back so that s/he can't spit the meds out but not so far
that s/he gags. You may have to stick your left thumb and forefinger in on
each side of the mouth and pry hir jaw open if s/he clenches it. It is
imperitive to get the syringe between the teeth- if the cat's jaw is
clenched shut and the syringe is between the teeth and cheek, the meds will
just squirt right back out at you. Keep the chin tilted up, otherwise s/he
will tip hir head and let the meds run out the opposite side of hir mouth.

Squirt the medicine in steadily and not too fast by thumbing the syringe
plunger. S/he will work hir tongue and make wet raspy rock-chewing noises.
There's no place for the meds to go but down the throat. If it starts
running out the sides of the mouth or if the cat is choking, you're
squirting too fast. If the cat has the focus and leisure to start struggling
with you, you're doing it too slow.

Let hir go and praise her profusely. After a bit, try to make up with a
cuddle if s/he is not still annoyed with you.