Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Having discovered that my cat's asthma has taken a turn for the worse, I was advised to put him on Flovent twice a day. After searching the web for cats and asthma, I found out about this product. Shipment was quick, the product seems to be exactly what is needed to use an inhaler with a cat. Now comes the problem - the cat. We practiced for many days with just the mask until he would let me keep it on his face for over 10 breaths. There was no medicine involved (that is a whole other story). There is a little 'flapper' you can see move so that you can count the breaths. While waiting for the Flovent to arrive, we had to make a quick trip to the vet after a day of serious 'wretching'. I brought the Aerokat with me in case the vet decided a rescue inhalant was required (Albuterol), which it was. This was our first experience with mask and medicine. The cat was so traumatized by the visit to the vet that he sat there and breathed in exactly as directed. I was proud of us both! The vet wrote a prescription for the Albuterol and I got it filled on the way home. We were to use the inhaler every 30 minutes if the symptoms hadn't stopped. By the time we got home, they started again, so I tried to put the mask to his face and that was that. Apparently not having strangers around and being at home removed the trauma and there must have been some memory of inhaling the stuff. He went nuts. Both my husband and I tried 4 times, together and singly, before giving up. Agitiating the cat further was not helping. The albuterol he did get seemed to make an already irritated throat worse. The day after, the cat ate and drank very little. I upped his prednisone dosage by half a pill and his coughing has slowed down, but we definitely want to try the Flovent and lower the pill dosage. However, training for the mask must start all over and the treat for putting up with it has been upped to something really good. We have a long way to go before attempting to actually use an inhaler again. It may be my guy is just more stubborn that those I have read about. There seem to be many success stories about cats using this device - check out YouTube. If you are reading this review, I assume you have an asthmatic cat. Be sure and check out a Yahoo group specifically for cats on inhaled medication (FAIM, for short) - [...]. There are lots of good hints and folks are quick to answer your questions. Update (11/23/12); We had our first 'puffing' session with the Flovent last night and he did amazingly well. I can't imagine any easier way to use an inhaler with a cat than the Aerokat. I had been putting the mask on without the unit and rewarding him with a treat if he even let it stay 1 second. When he got to the point where I could keep it there for 10 seconds, I started over with the entire unit. The longer it stayed on without him turning his head away hard enough for the mask not to be replaced into position, the more treats he got. Last night I loaded the unit and used the burrito method - I sat down, placed him with his back to me between my legs, held his head gently with my left hand and used my right one to place the mask and push the inhaler. He's not happy about it, but is cooperating and getting 4 treats for his effort. The group to check out is felineasthma_inhaledmeds on Yahoo. There is tons of information and people on board to answer your questions and provide help. I can't praise them enough. Update (12/31/12): After 5+ weeks using the Aerokat, Boots has been weaned off the prednisone and accepts his puffing sessions with grace. If I shake the treats bag, he will sometimes come to me on his own. The only thing he really doesn't care for is the after-session wipe down with a damp cloth. This is a great device, although expensive. In the long run, the cost will amortize out to next to nothing, but the hit to the pocket book in the beginning is a shocker. My advice to all is patience, patience, patience and treats, treats, treats! Update (1/21/16): After 3+ years, the unit is still in great shape. It can actually be washed on the inside to remove buildup, use a cotton tip to clear out the flapper area (very gently) to better see it. I did get a backup unit from a member of FAIM because I had read these had a 2 year lifespan - who came up with that number?. The mask with it is of noticeably inferior quality - the silicone/rubber is much thinner, so the masks may not last as long. However, the thicker mask with the unit I bought in 2012 is just as good as on day one. So, day be day, the cost for the unit amortizes out to less and less per day, but that still doesn't undo the sticker shock! For a unit that gets used for 3 puffs, twice a day, every day, even the back end insertion piece is holding up just fine. Note to newbies - asthma is not curable, so don't stop administering inhaled medication just because kitty is no longer coughing. That means it is under control. If coughing is continuing, you need a higher dose. You can do back to back with 110/125 mcg, but be sure to re-shake in between. 8/17/18: FAIM has moved to groups.io. Look for FelineAsthmaInhaledMedication.