My cat may have hyperthryoidism
I took him to the vet yesterday for his annual checkup and because he had a sore on his rear end. I'd noticed he's lost some weight since last year, but I didn't think it was that much. Turns out it was 2 pounds, which is a lot when you only weigh 10. He has a heart murmur (which hadn't been there last year), so the vet took some blood and will run some tests. But she things it's his thyroid.
The sore on his rear turned out to be an abscess. Not bad, thankfully, but I am giving him antibiotics twice a day, which of course he loves (not). Actually he only pouted for a few minutes this time, compared to an hour last night, so that's an improvement, I guess.
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our cat Scout is going through his own medical woes, and has to take antibiotics and steroids 2x a day which he hates too.
How old is your kitty?
Lots of love and warm fuzzy vibes for you and your cat (poor thing, how awful to have a sore on your rump)
My dog is awful with pills, just spits them out, so I always ask if I can get it in liquid when he needs meds, still not easy, but much quicker and easier... 
This particular vet uses both Eastern and Western medicine. On a subsequent check up, he said she was no longer hyperthyroid. I'm trying to remember exactly what the herb was, got it at the health food store. 
I was surprised that it worked so quickly, but this vet is quite the cat whisperer. And this was a cat who I rescued from outside, as well. I fed her (yes, turned out to be a spayed female, poor kitty!) outside until I was finally able to bring her in, but it took me borrowing a have-a-heart trap from the animal hospital to finally do it. She was very scared at first and they had to sedate her to treat her at the vet's, but it turned out she had dental issues and she practically became a lap cat after necessary dental surgery, must have been in pain before that. 
Good luck with your kitties, I'll see if the animal hospital has any suggestions. I just couldn't leave this kitty outside. Winter was coming and I kept having to thaw out the food I was leaving for her. I got advice from a woman who works with and feeds ferals, said this cat was not a true feral since she let me see her, told me to hang around so she got used to me and give her a name. And to leave the trap there, too, so she got used to that and to use something like tuna with a strong smell. It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally managed. Though the first time we went to my own vet, I had to ask my friend's husband who had caught cats for the SPCA to come into my house to catch her. 
When I first put it out, my friend and I just sat and watched, silly us! But the feral cat lady was absolutely right, she was not a true feral.
After speaking with neighbors, I eventually found out that this poor kitty had belonged to a neighbor who had moved. I had known this neighbor a little since I had rescued her little dog more than once. When I found a Yorkie in my yard, I knew that he hadn't gone far, and that wasn't the only time that the pup got loose, and this neighbor was very grateful when I'd bring him home, so I don't know why she didn't alert me about the kitty.
She said she had several cats and this one must have gotten loose when she moved. Turns out this one was 12, found her records at the vet, and she must have been pretty resourceful to have survived on her own as long as she did.
Kudos to you on helping the kitties. I have another cat now, also black and also strictly indoor. I found him as a tiny kitten in the parking lot of a supermarket where I just happened to stop one night on my way home. And he wasn't easy to catch, either, took a store employee and his kind wife who was there to pick him up, could never have managed on my own since this little guy was quite determined! But he's a year old now, practically a lap cat and he's grown into a beautiful cat!
Meet Felix! This is the little guy I found in the grocery store parking lot, can't imagine what would have happened to him if I hadn't stopped at that store that night, or hadn't spotted him on the way to my car. They were doing construction at that particular store and a couple of the construction guys had attempted to catch him, but got bitten for their trouble. The vet thought he was only about seven weeks, 2.6 lbs., had no idea what he even looked like in the dark, but I think I'm the lucky one, since, at a year old, he really is beautiful, IMO, and rarely bites these days, LOL, and getting better all the time! 
Felix, then and now: 
I haven't figured out how to post pictures yet. If I had the room or the money I'm sure I'd have every stray in Phoenix at my place. I can't stand to see anyone hungry and feed everything/one I come into contact with, to my son's embarrassment. Oh well, that's just who we are and I wouldn't do it different.And I totally identify with your feelings. All my guys have had sad stories, which I try to turn into happier futures. I have mostly adopted older dogs, though the kitties probably break my heart even more. I still leave food at a place near a shopping plaza where I know a group was feeding a colony of cats, though I can't remember the last time I saw an actual cat. But as long as the food keeps disappearing, I'll probably continue to do it, just in case. I think of my guys and hate to imagine other animals on their own. We do what we can, and it's reassuring to know you're not to know you're not the only one who feels that way...
I actually learned how to do it right here on DU. When I was new here, there was a thread on posting pictures of your pets. I said I didn't know how, so some kind poster offered to do it for me, told me to send her the photo, so I did. And she posted my picture and told me what she did.
I use Photobucket and it's pretty easy. You can sign up for a free account and upload any photos that you have on your computer. Then you just post the link that says "Direct" (link) on that particular photo. I generally edit my pictures to make sure they're not too large, but you can always preview your post to see how they turned out.
Give it a try sometime. You can always keep previewing it if it doesn't turn out the way you intended. And you can always ask for help with it here. DUers are helpful like that.
http://s253.photobucket.com/
