Difficulty Giving Extremely Anxious Cat Eye Drops

[glowcloud]

My partner and I adopted our cat, Matilda, from a shelter about a month ago. She suffered trauma prior to being rescued by the shelter she was at (she cowers and sometimes runs whenever you make sudden movements around her, especially with hands, so my vet has suggested she may have been abused, or else was semi-feral when she was found). She's made great strides since being home with us and seems to have bonded to me, even though I cannot pick her up or hold her without her freaking out.

The trouble is that she's been diagnosed with conjunctivitis in one eye and has been prescribed eye drops. I haven't been able to get a hold of her long enough to administer the drops so far - she's smart and runs as soon as she sees me with the bottle, and even if I can get her she wiggles and struggles so much that I'm afraid she's going to hurt herself. I've tried the "kitty burrito" method with a blanket a few times, but she's managed to wiggle away and now she just runs whenever she sees me holding a blanket. My partner hasn't been able to help with this because Matilda hasn't bonded with her yet and is still terrified of her, running when she gets too near.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can administer the drops safely and without totally ruining the bond I've worked on over the last month? I don't want her to fear me like she does my partner, as then she won't have any people she trusts in her new home. And of course it's breaking our hearts to see her scared and upset

 

[denice]

That is a tough one, eye drops are difficult to administer to any cat. Some cats react really well to Feliway. It is a little pricey but pet stores sell the diffusers and refills. It mimics calming pheromones. Many people have noticed positive effects from Bach Rescue Remedy Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds I think it is also available in many pet stores.

As a last resort and just for the short term your vet may be able to prescribe something that will calm her down. This is a difficult situation, you are trying to get a skittish cat to trust you and she needs eye drops which all cats dislike.

 

[margd]

If only we could let cats know that these things are for their own good. Although, to be honest, when it comes to eye drops, I have to say I sympathize with her!

It sounds like you could use a grooming bag. These enclose cats from the neck down with openings near the paws that can be closed to keep claws contained. That's the first part of your question - the second half about ruining your bond with her is much trickier.

Here is an example of a grooming bag - I've never used one so just selected one randomly to show you what I mean.


She is going to hate to see that grooming bag coming as much as she hates to see the blanket coming, maybe even more. You'll need to sweeten the deal for her with treats, really excellent treats that she snaps right up whenever she has the chance. It doesn't need to be an official treat from a bag, you can take bits of ham or cheese to give her before, during and after her experience. My cats would rather have either one of those than anything sold as a treat.

It will have an impact on her trust in you but when the drops end, she'll start to regain it if you just keep doing everything that's been working so well up to now. One idea that might help, and this is a total guess on my part, is to make a sound that only occurs when it's eye drop time. A bell? A timer? A ringtone? This might keep her from avoiding you when she sees you at times other than when she's getting her medication.

denice has mentioned another good option, which is to treat her either with calming drops or medication so that she is less nervous about the whole operation. If you do need to use a grooming bag, giving her an anti-anxiety aid like denice mentioned would be a good idea.

Good luck! I hope she lets you put those drops in her eyes and not down her cheeks! And may that conjunctivitis be gone ASAP!

 

[glowcloud]

That is a tough one, eye drops are difficult to administer to any cat. Some cats react really well to Feliway. It is a little pricey but pet stores sell the diffusers and refills. It mimics calming pheromones. Many people have noticed positive effects from Bach Rescue Remedy Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds I think it is also available in many pet stores.

As a last resort and just for the short term your vet may be able to prescribe something that will calm her down. This is a difficult situation, you are trying to get a skittish cat to trust you and she needs eye drops which all cats dislike.

Thank you for your advice Denice! We're using a Feliway defuser and it seems to have helped a little. We'll try the Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy as well, and may have to resort to getting a prescription for the 10 days.

 

[glowcloud]

If only we could let cats know that these things are for their own good. Although, to be honest, when it comes to eye drops, I have to say I sympathize with her!

It sounds like you could use a grooming bag. These enclose cats from the neck down with openings near the paws that can be closed to keep claws contained. That's the first part of your question - the second half about ruining your bond with her is much trickier.

Here is an example of a grooming bag - I've never used one so just selected one randomly to show you what I mean.View attachment 218059


She is going to hate to see that grooming bag coming as much as she hates to see the blanket coming, maybe even more. You'll need to sweeten the deal for her with treats, really excellent treats that she snaps right up whenever she has the chance. It doesn't need to be an official treat from a bag, you can take bits of ham or cheese to give her before, during and after her experience. My cats would rather have either one of those than anything sold as a treat.

It will have an impact on her trust in you but when the drops end, she'll start to regain it if you just keep doing everything that's been working so well up to now. One idea that might help, and this is a total guess on my part, is to make a sound that only occurs when it's eye drop time. A bell? A timer? A ringtone? This might keep her from avoiding you when she sees you at times other than when she's getting her medication.

denice has mentioned another good option, which is to treat her either with calming drops or medication so that she is less nervous about the whole operation. If you do need to use a grooming bag, giving her an anti-anxiety aid like denice mentioned would be a good idea.

Good luck! I hope she lets you put those drops in her eyes and not down her cheeks! And may that conjunctivitis be gone ASAP!

Thank you so much for your advice! I didn't know about the timer trick - that's an excellent idea! I'm making sure she gets plenty of treats and playtime (she's very play-oriented, possibly even more so than food!) right after the eye drops and throughout the day.