How to Medicate Your Cat With a Pill

Most cat owners cringe when the vet says Tabby will have to take a pill. Follow the steps below to make this task less stressful for you and your pet.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cat Beds
• Cat Foods
• Cat Nail Clippers
• Cat Or Dog Medication
• Cat Treats
• Veterinarian

1. Check the label to make sure the medication is for your cat, and for the specific medical condition she's being treated for. Make sure the medicine is not out of date.

2. Place the cat where she's comfortable - on your lap or a textured surface such as the carpet, a couch or a bed.

3. Kneel or sit beside your cat with the pill or capsule in your right hand, between your thumb and index finger.

4. Place your left hand on your cat's head. Put your thumb behind her right canine tooth and your left index finger behind her left canine tooth.

5. Lift her lips gently - don't pinch - and place the middle finger of your right hand on the incisor teeth of her lower jaw.

6. Open your cat's mouth by pushing down on her lower jaw with the middle finger of your right hand while tilting her nose upward with your left hand.

7. Deposit or drop the pill or capsule in the back of your cat's mouth, behind her tongue.

8. Close her mouth and quickly point her nose down at a sharp angle. This will cause your cat to swallow automatically.

Tips & Warnings

• Remain calm and relaxed. Your cat will sense if you are anxious and react accordingly.
• Have a friend hold the cat's front legs so she will not attempt to pull your hand away.
• Trim your cat's nails to avoid being scratched.
• Call your veterinarian and ask for a demonstration or a different form of medication if you are unable to give it as prescribed.
• Use caution if your cat has a history of biting or scratching.
• Check with your veterinarian to be certain it's safe to handle the medication if you are pregnant.
• Do not attempt to conceal the medication in your cat's food or water. If your cat refuses to eat or drink, she will not get the proper dose of medication and will become dehydrated, which could worsen her condition.

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[amberdusk]

on 4/26/2009 Great article thanks for the advice! I had to give my cat pills when he had a bladder infection, and it was not easy! I found that I wasted a couple of doses by trying to hide it in food, he refused it!

[sappho99336]

on 11/15/2007 Giving cats a syringe full of water right after the pill will help keep them from spitting it back up. Great article!

on 9/10/2006 I have a cat who needed antibiotic pills twice a day, for two weeks. There was no way she was letting me open her mouth. So, I crushed the pill into a powder and mixed it with a couple drops of gravy from some canned cat food. Then I put the mixture on my finger and then smeared it right above her upper lip. Cats hate being sticky and dirty, so even though it tastes bitter, she licks herself clean! Mission accomplished!

on 8/2/2006 I take the easy way out. I dissolve the pill in a teaspoon of tuna or salmon juice (from a can). She gulps it up every time!

on 6/30/2006 Lift the head back, slip the pill in to your cats mouth then quickly blow on his face. Works every time. By the time he has figured out what the blow in the face was for, the pill has gone.