Well, I don't know how available it is in Canada, but there is a non-drowsy NSAID (aspirin-type medicine) called metacam (meloxicam) that is in a liquid that I will use in cats sometimes, and also tramadol can be used in cats and is pretty non-drowsy but would likely need to be mixed specially by a compounding pharmacy to get flavored or in liquid and to dose more precisely. NSAIDS in cats can get touchy, especially if they have any history of liver or kidney trouble, but it can be done with judicious dosing. Tramadol's a bit easier on the system in general, it's just not an anti-inflammatory though, just pain med. Some products etc may not be as widely available there but I would bet those 2 are. Also, if you have a compounding pharmacy your vet can work with (depending on the laws there) they can flavor stuff ("cat flavors" like tuna, chicken, etc), make liquids, and in some cases even do gels that absorb through the skin called transdermals or PLOs.

Hopefully you won't need to worry about pain meds, but if you do, there may be some non-wonkifying and possible easier-to-dose forms of meds available to you....

Much luck, and msg me anytime.