'Yes,' she said, 'We've been using the lysine gel that our vet prescribed, but our cat doesn't like to take it, so we just use it when she really needs it.' Instead, I suggested she buy an inexpensive pill crusher, like the one pictured here. I paid $3.99 for mine at WalMart. Then, get a bottle of inexpensive lysine tablets (about $1.99....I get the 500 mg.tabs) and crush them to make a powder. The lysine powder can be mixed in canned food or sprinkled on dry food. I find the cats don't seem to notice anything different about their food. The gel made specifically for cats, which cleverly dispenses a metered amount with each 'squirt' costs from $12.99 to 14.99. Making your own lysine powder saves more than 50% of the cost, and gives more flexibility in dosing.
There was a silence on the other end of the phone, and my new friend said, 'Why didn't my vet tell me I could use the human lysine supplements?!?' Why, indeed?