LOL Murraysmom!!! You have no idea how much I want to talk about him, but I don't want to sound like a constantly bragging relative.

This morning I put his pill in with a few kibbles and I watched him pick something out of the bowl and spit it out on the floor. Little turkey. So I mash it into his food, and hope it gets eaten in a timely manner.

He must be feeling better, he's certainly eating more. Before he would take a few licks and then leave it. I put it down to him being just picky. Now, of course I know better. He would eat only a couple of tablespoons in a day.

Yesterday I was doing dishes and saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned and he was just patiently sitting there. He's very quiet, he just shows up, I never hear him.

When he turned, I had to grab my phone. He must be getting used to having a camera in his face! That's not lipstick, he just finished licking his lips.

I can't get used to his front claws. My cats have all been declawed. I've got punctures and scratches on my arms. He likes being brushed but will wrap his paws and claws around my arm.

I have 6 more days of pills and the 11th was the soonest they could take me for his next checkup. Roxie and Bud loved sleeping in the carrier, I'd love to have him do the same. I put catnip and a ball inside it (I keep a towel in it for them to lay on) hoping to entice him into it and he'll know it's a safe place.

He likes using the carpet to scratch his claws and always call him out by name. I was toying with the idea of making a cat scratching pole but he never reaches up on anything to scratch. I'm going to get a kitchen mat and fasten it to the carpet and hopefully train him to use that.

Good to hear positive update. Perhaps, he needs a manicure?

Will this work??? Amazon

He's a handsome boy!!

Jasdip, try using a pill popper. They're also called pill pockets. You can get them at pet stores or even a Walmart type store.

I had a cat that needed medications and I tried mixing it with their food too. Didn't work very well and I wasn't even sure the cat ingested the medication.

Here's a short video on how pill poppers work. Easy peasy. It's over before the cat even knows what's going on.

Jasdip, please, you don't need an invitation to brag on your boy!!! I'm so glad he seems to be feeling better.

They make cardboard scratching pads that lay flat on the floor. Rocket always enjoyed using those.

That's funny about his "just showing up". I call Carmelita "Chuckie" because she does the same thing. She can be in the living room at the front door, just sitting. I look away for a moment and nexr thing she is sitting right next to me!! It can be unnerving.

Oh and on another note, I really like your floor! Is it tile?

Cats tend to be either vertical scratchers or horizontal scratchers. Our last two were horizontal scratchers and we got a couple of corrugated cardboard boxes that were beds and doubled as scratch mats. They loved those things.

Elliott looks like such a nice kitty.

Those horizontal cardboard scratchers are great and not expensive. they used to come with a bit of catnip .

Next time you go to the vet, ask them to clip the front claws.

My Charley loved those Smarty Kat cardboard scratchers.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SmartyKat-Super-Scratcher-Single-Wide-with-Catnip-Infusion-Technology-Corrugate-Cat-Scratch-Pad-Durable-Reversible/10804637

Such a good boy :) I've used sisal mats for carpet stratching- I encourage to use just that mat with some catnip or valerian root sprinkled on it.

I agree with Murraysmom. Dollar Tree sells the cardboard scratch boards AND cat nail clippers...same ones MDLN shows....for $1.25 each! I put a pair of clippers where ever I sit...and the cats might sit with me. When they fall asleep, I ambush them...clipping their nails. The cardboard scratchers I tie to their basket...or double stick tape to carpet. 🐾 🐾 (My last cat was declawed when I got him....this is ALL new for me too)

Our Elliott (the Westie) was the Stealth Terrier. I had to warn workmen in the house to check their gear before leaving. Elliott would silently saunter by a tool bag and, without breaking his stride, casually pick up an item and glide on by. Nothing to see here, folks. Pay no attention.

Encouraging to hear Elliott is eating better!

You can try covering bits of the pill in anchovy paste, most cats love it, and it stays fresh in th tube.

So glad he seems happy!

I always have anchovy paste in the frig for my Pasta Puttanesca. I could try that tonite.

I'm not sure how to get him to chew his food. I successfully, yay! trimmed his front claws with no scrambling or scratching. He was perfect. I put a few treats on the floor and he swallowed them. I gave him 1 dental treat....they're a larger ball, made for chewing, and he ate it whole. He's reluctant to bite anything. No more dental treats for him.

My landlady came to the door. She's very quiet when she knocks. He was beside the couch, peeking around. She was able to see his face. Progress. He hides whenever he hears anyone come up the stairs or someone knocking loudly.

I may or may not vacuum today; tomorrow's another day. He's definitely scared of that, as are a lot of pets.

One thing I learned. Bud and Roxie liked ground up dehydrated liver treats sprinkled on their food. It worked especially well if they were being picky. Bud got to the point where he 'demanded' on his food on a regular basis just because he liked it.

Elliott doesn't like the liver treats but he does like nutritional yeast flakes.

From my experience with cats most do not chew their food. That's clearly evident whenever they vomit shortly after eating and the shape of the kibble is still obvious.

I dont think it is likely that Elliot will want to chew any time soon. I think it is great that he can tolerate food in his mouth now.

I had a cat that would just gulp down his dental treats and I would sternly tell him to CHEW and he would oblige by chewing the next treat.

Judi, Smudge ate his kibble whole, but Bud and Roxie both crunched it. Bud especially liked crunching the fental kibble balls. They're big enough that they should be crunched.

Well, I'm glad Elliott was so obliging to get his nails trimmed without a battle. When I had Rocket, he would turn into a whirling devil biting and scratching me - a 45 minute battle where I always felt like I was the loser. Finally someone recommended a blindfold/muzzle combination that velcroed behind his head and that was a real game changer. He would stand perfectly still and I got his nails clipped in under two minutes, without any damage to my arms and hands.

Oh that would be like the Happy Cap that vets use. They can't see the needle etc. Where did you get it Murraysmom? That might be good to have in my arsenal. My arms are a mess.

Check his back claws too if you can. Once when wearing shorts the cat ricocheted off my lap and gave me a nasty scratch. Good that you could get the fronts done. He trusts you.

Jasdip, it's from a company called Four Flags Over Aspen.

http://www.fourflags.com

It truly was a Godsend.

It's called the Quick Muzzle for Cats. He could easily breath but couldn't bite and couldn't see.