Feline Pharmaceuticals

I have been babysitting two elderly cats for about a month now - one of them requires two separate medications daily. Anytime you need to get medications for an animal it can be an interesting adventure - this is one such excursion.

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I went over to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Ben Nevis a week ago - the elderly 15 year old cat I am currently baby-sitting.


Picking up medication for any animal at a "regular" pharmacy is always such a treat. First you have to justify to the clerk why you are asking for medication that is not n your name. Ummmm .. because the "patient" is a cat and doesn't have a drivers license? But let me back up - because the weirdness starts before you even pick up the final vial of meds.

When I have had to drop off a prescription for one of my animals it seems as though the intake person loses the ability to read. The script clearly says it from XXX Animal Hospital and/or Dr. ____ DVM. Wouldn't you think that might be a clue that this is not for a person??? But I am usually asked if I have an insurance card for the patient.

Now part of me understands that in a way I create some of the confusion. I have had cats named Abraham, Mary, David and Naomi .... those names I can understand creating confusion. But Tigger, Jericho or Shadrach ... really? Those strike you as normal names for a person? Of course considering some of the really bizarre names I have seen people give their kids in the last few years I suppose it is not THAT odd that
they would not question the name.

So I am willing to cut them a bit of slack. Except now at this point we have established the fact that the prescription is for a cat - they still ask me stupid questions.

While waiting for meds I have been called over and asked: "This liquid formula comes in either Bubble Gum or Grape - which do you think the patient would prefer" - to which I have replied "Neither actually - how about cod liver oil? or tuna juice? Do you have any of that?"

Then I get the look that says they are wondering if I am completely out of my mind I have to remind them that we are dealing with a CAT!!! And I do not really think he is going to care or like either bubble gum or grape.

A couple of years ago I had to fill a prescription for Abraham during his last few months. I was paged over to the pharmacy desk because they had a question. The first part of the question was ... "How old is Abraham?", to which I answered "Seventeen".

The technician then asked what his birthday was, and commented that it was very unusual that someone so young would be on this particular medication. I sighed and asked her to read the prescription pad again - she stared at it rather blankly. so I pointed her toward the letterhead - still no response. So I very slowly said "See the  name of the doctor? And the D V M ???? And that the clinic name is ANIMAL HOSPITAL??? Does this not say "animal" to you and not a person???"

Now, getting back to this recent foray for Ben Nevis - who is a very sweet elderly cat with arthritic back legs. First, the order was not filled or ready - because it seems that when the Natick animal hospital called it in there was some information they could not provide. So first things first - they had not understood the complete name of the "patient" - explanation #1: this is a cat and I am not the owner I am caring for the cat for his owner. So we corrected the last name and the spelling of his first name. Then this same clerk asked me, with a straight face, if I knew his birthday .......... really? Let's just move on.

We make it through the rest of the data such as address etc. and then I sat to wait. Once the order was completed I asked if I could speak to one of the pharmacists since I had a question about the other supplement Ben Nevis takes. So the pharmacist comes out and I explain what I am looking for. So we walk over to the supplement aisle and look at the joint health compounds. However this store did not carry the brand and dosage I was looking for in a capsule - however this very nice woman suggested, again with a straight face, that there was an alternative if I did not want a gel cap for an elderly man. As she removed a bottle from the shelf and held it out to me I almost wish there had been someone there with a camera to catch my expression. Which must have been so odd it even stopped her in mid motion.

And as I looked from the bottle to her and back to the bottle again I arched a brow in a look that must have said "You ARE kidding right?" Because what she was giving me as an option was a suppository!!! Yeah ...... NOT. She started to try and justify this option by saying how for a lot of elderly people who have digestion issues this works best. So yet once again I had to explain that the "patient" is a CAT ... C ---- A ---- T ..... and while I could handle breaking up little pills into four pieces and giving him two pieces a day I was NOT going to be pushing things up his butt !!!!