Giving your cat medicine is no easy feat, particularly when he or she definitely doesn’t want you poking around in their mouth with a pill or syringe. However, it’s an essential part of looking after your furry friend that simply can’t be avoided from time to time.
Giving your cat medicine effectively is all about sneaking up on them and making sure that you get it over and done with as quickly as possible. Here are the best ways to give liquid, and pill-based medicines to your cat, without getting scratched to pieces.
Prepare yourself
Before you attempt to medicate your cat, make sure that you’re prepared, with all of your supplies in your pocket, or in an area where you can reach them easily. It might be a good idea to have a treat handy so that you can try to make the experience more pleasant for your kitty, and if claws come out, you might want to use a towel to wrap your cat.
Giving Liquid Medication
Liquid medication can often be a lot easier to give to cats than other forms of medication such as pills and powders. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a challenge. To start with, sit your cat down on a flat surface, facing away from you. You should already have your medication ready at this stage, and drawn into the right dosing syringe. With your free hand, tilt your cat’s head back slightly, placing the tip of the syringe into the back corner of his or her mouth.
Quickly squirt the medication into the space between the cat’s cheek and gums, and reward your kitty afterward with a treat and a cuddle.
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Giving Pills and Capsules
To give your cat a capsule or pill, hold him or her in the same position that you would use to administer liquid, again, using one hand to stead your cat’s head as you tilt it upwards slightly. Hold the pill between your forefinger and thumb in the opposite hand, and use one of your fingers to carefully open up the mouth of your kitty and slide the pill to the back of the mouth, as far back as it will go.
It might seem awful, but you need to get the pill as deep into your cat’s mouth as possible if you want him or her to swallow it, and not just spit it back up onto the carpet.
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Where was this article when I use to have to give our Otis the Cat meds. He hated me for that!! You make it sound so easy. Your advice is in my memory banks and I’m pinning for the future
Where was this article when I use to have to give our Otis the Cat meds. He hated me for that!! You make it sound so easy. Your advice is in my memory banks and I’m pinning for the future
It’s never easy to give our pets medication. I prefer liquid as well but if there’s really no choice, your tip about the tablet or pill is great.
There is no need to force a pill into your cat’s mouth. There is a fantastic product called Pill Wrap (can be used for cats AND dogs). It’s like a caramel treat…like a chewable taffy. You just put the pill inside it and the cat gobbles it up! Mine loves it. She gets her “treat” twice a day and she can’t wait!
I couldn’t agree MORE! Never ever force a pill down a cat or a dog’s throat! It can easily get stuck if they’re throat is dry and what a horrible experience when there’s something so simple and easy as the pill pockets. My favorite for cats is the malt-flavored taffy type stuff that you just easily wrap it around the pill… sooo easy and they absolutely LOVE it!
I don’t have cat. But I can say giving medicine to pets is really a struggle. Your advice is really great.
These are great suggestions. I always struggle to give my kitties some medication. It’s really nice to have tips like this!
It’s never easy to give our pets medication. I prefer liquid as well but if there’s really no choice, your tip about the tablet or pill is great.
There is no need to force a pill into your cat’s mouth. There is a fantastic product called Pill Wrap (can be used for cats AND dogs). It’s like a caramel treat…like a chewable taffy. You just put the pill inside it and the cat gobbles it up! Mine loves it. She gets her “treat” twice a day and she can’t wait!
I don’t have cat. But I can say giving medicine to pets is really a struggle. Your advice is really great.
I need to repeat this again (replied above). There is no need to force a pill into your cat’s mouth. There is a fantastic product called Pill Wrap (can be used for cats AND dogs). It’s like a caramel treat…like a chewable taffy. You just put the pill inside it and the cat gobbles it up! Mine loves it. She gets her “treat” twice a day and she can’t wait!
These are great suggestions. I always struggle to give my kitties some medication. It’s really nice to have tips like this!
great suggestion you have here.. will share this to my sis-in-law who have cats
I need to repeat this again (replied above). There is no need to force a pill into your cat’s mouth. There is a fantastic product called Pill Wrap (can be used for cats AND dogs). It’s like a caramel treat…like a chewable taffy. You just put the pill inside it and the cat gobbles it up! Mine loves it. She gets her “treat” twice a day and she can’t wait!
great suggestion you have here.. will share this to my sis-in-law who have cats
These are all great suggestions. I think I will try the candy wrapper trick next time. I just hope they won’t be able to sniff the medicine.
These are all great suggestions. I think I will try the candy wrapper trick next time. I just hope they won’t be able to sniff the medicine.
I remember when our cat got sick that my husband had to give him medicine. It was not an easy task. Our cat at the time weighed 26 pounds! Your tips would have come in handy then!
I remember when our cat got sick that my husband had to give him medicine. It was not an easy task. Our cat at the time weighed 26 pounds! Your tips would have come in handy then!
I have had to do this to a younger cat and a puppy before, and I also found this way to be the best way to get them to take it.
I have had to do this to a younger cat and a puppy before, and I also found this way to be the best way to get them to take it.
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NO! NO! Don’t ever force a pill down an animals throat!! It can get stuck if they’re throat is dry and it’s very traumatic for them… why do that when it’s sooo easy with the pill pockets or my fav for cats is the malt-flavored taffy type stuff that just wraps around the pill… and they go nuts for it!
I use cat in the bag and I put a rubber mat on the table, place cat inside and I do have everything ready near by, that’s a good point! But a containment bag or big towel make it much easier. Cat in the bag great product I have 2 bags recommended!