Cat Hated Taking Pills Until His Human Found A Brilliant Way To Make It Work
Most cat parents know the struggle: giving a cat a pill can feel like preparing for battle. Hissing, hiding, and Houdini-level escapes are par for the course. But what if pill time didn’t have to be a fight?
Meet Digit, a resilient and spirited cat who almost didn’t survive his first year. Diagnosed with a rare blood condition, he now needs daily medication to stay alive. What started as a stressful routine has transformed into something surprisingly sweet, with Digit even looking forward to his pills.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | tiktok.com | youtube.com
This is Digit—a cat who nearly didn’t make it past kittenhood
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
At 9 months old, he had lost all his energy—and only had 4% red blood cells
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
He was diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia, a rare condition that makes it hard to produce red blood cells
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
“He was minutes from no longer being here,” said his human, Kait
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Now, he needs daily pills and regular vet visits for the rest of his life
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Like most cats, Digit hated taking pills at first—every dose was a fight
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Kait didn’t give up. She sought help from vet techs, cat behaviorists, and an online community
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
“It was a rough start… but we’ve come a very long way,” she shared
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Pill time slowly turned into bonding time—with patience, positive reinforcement, and Churu
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Kait started offering Digit a choice: small pill or big pill first
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
View this post on Instagram
Every time, Digit lifts his paw to pick the smaller one—his way of taking control
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
That tiny gesture made a huge difference—it gave him agency
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
And after the pills? Digit gets love, praise, and his favorite treat
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Today, Digit not only cooperates—he gets excited for pill time
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Kait credits cooperative care training and learning to read cat body language
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
“Don’t be discouraged,” she says. “It took time, but you can get there too”
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Digit’s story is a reminder that with love, patience, and the right approach—even pill time can be pawsitive
Image credits: pixel.n.friends
Digit’s experience opened up a conversation among pet owners about the ups and downs of pill time
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
10Kviews
Share on FacebookExplore more of these tags
So happy Pixel pulled through! My tuxedo boy Preacher was diagnosed with wet FIP (invariably fatal) when he was 7 months old. The medication to treat it was not legal yet and there was no pill form available (there is now.) I had to give my poor boy twice-daily injections for 84 days! Apparently the medication burned/was painful, because he would scream in pain whenever I had to inject him. He developed several injection-site lesions as well, some quite nasty (they healed, but the fur grew back white!) I always tried to make injection time as pleasant as possible with treats, praise, and love, but it was hard. My old gray girl had to get subQ fluids years ago (kidney failure) and it was a lot easier - she was an absolute angel about it. Would just sit there calmly with the IV in for the 15 minutes it took to give her the fluids. wintressia...08ac79.jpg
That must have been very. very hard - putting your cat through pain to help him. That's an act of love and I hope he understood in his way. Your gray girl was beautiful.
Load More Replies...During poll season, one of the horses needs eyedrops. The enclosed description says: "First, place your pet securely on your lap." Right...
I used to disguise meds with something tasty like tinned sardines or tuna.
That's great when it works. I had one cat that was an absolute *pro* at eating the surface food and then spitting out the pill. I don't know how she managed it with some of the things I tried. But this has worked a charm for lots of other cats I've had.
Load More Replies...So happy Pixel pulled through! My tuxedo boy Preacher was diagnosed with wet FIP (invariably fatal) when he was 7 months old. The medication to treat it was not legal yet and there was no pill form available (there is now.) I had to give my poor boy twice-daily injections for 84 days! Apparently the medication burned/was painful, because he would scream in pain whenever I had to inject him. He developed several injection-site lesions as well, some quite nasty (they healed, but the fur grew back white!) I always tried to make injection time as pleasant as possible with treats, praise, and love, but it was hard. My old gray girl had to get subQ fluids years ago (kidney failure) and it was a lot easier - she was an absolute angel about it. Would just sit there calmly with the IV in for the 15 minutes it took to give her the fluids. wintressia...08ac79.jpg
That must have been very. very hard - putting your cat through pain to help him. That's an act of love and I hope he understood in his way. Your gray girl was beautiful.
Load More Replies...During poll season, one of the horses needs eyedrops. The enclosed description says: "First, place your pet securely on your lap." Right...
I used to disguise meds with something tasty like tinned sardines or tuna.
That's great when it works. I had one cat that was an absolute *pro* at eating the surface food and then spitting out the pill. I don't know how she managed it with some of the things I tried. But this has worked a charm for lots of other cats I've had.
Load More Replies...




























67
24