Comments on: How to Give Medicine to a Cat Using a Dropper

on 9/1/2008 About the Baby Food Trick - Thank you SO MUCH for your advice, it worked! Instead of baby food, I mixed in the pink Amoxicillin with tuna juice and mashed canned cat food. My other cat wanted it too, so I had to put him outside on his leash, or lure him with treats. I love the web and your advice, and so does my kitty!

on 2/19/2008 I think it's very important to try and find "peaceful" alternatives to giving cats medicine rather than going for the standard "force their head back and squeeze it down their throats" method. The vet I saw did just that, but when I tried to repeat the proceedure by myself, it failed miserably - my cat wiggled out of my grip, and we both got pretty spooked. What I tried next worked like a charm.

When she came out of hiding, I put a little drop of the antibiotics on her paw. She immediately proceeded to lick it all off. Furthermore, she didn't seem too disgusted while doing so. Little by little, I emptied the dropper on her paw, as she diligintly licked every little bit off. By the end, she even started licking the dropper itself! The next morning, I didn't even have to put anything on her paw. She just started to lick the dropper and and I squeezed the medicine bit by bit as she swal

on 2/19/2008 I think it's very important to try and find "peaceful" alternatives to giving cats medicine rather than going for the standard "force their head back and squeeze it down their throats" method. The vet I saw did just that, but when I tried to repeat the proceedure by myself, it failed miserably - my cat wiggled out of my grip, and we both got pretty spooked. What I tried next worked like a charm.

When she came out of hiding, I put a little drop of the antibiotics on her paw. She immediately proceeded to lick it all off. Furthermore, she didn't seem too disgusted while doing so. Little by little, I emptied the dropper on her paw, as she diligintly licked every little bit off. By the end, she even started licking the dropper itself! The next morning, I didn't even have to put anything on her paw. She just started to lick the dropper and and I squeezed the medicine bit by bit as she swal

on 2/19/2008 I think it's very important to try and find "peaceful" alternatives to giving cats medicine rather than going for the standard "force their head back and squeeze it down their throats" method. The vet I saw did just that, but when I tried to repeat the proceedure by myself, it failed miserably - my cat wiggled out of my grip, and we both got pretty spooked. What I tried next worked like a charm.

When she came out of hiding, I put a little drop of the antibiotics on her paw. She immediately proceeded to lick it all off. Furthermore, she didn't seem too disgusted while doing so. Little by little, I emptied the dropper on her paw, as she diligintly licked every little bit off. By the end, she even started licking the dropper itself! The next morning, I didn't even have to put anything on her paw. She just started to lick the dropper and and I squeezed the medicine bit by bit as she swal

on 8/8/2006 I rescued a severely neglected and abused cat from the local Bengal rescue group. When I got him, he had a horrid URI (upper respiratory infection). Seeing as how he had never had human contact, I could not lift him onto a table, let alone hold him there, force his mouth open, and make him take meds. But I took a page from my ferret book.

Baby food. Baby food stinks. It masks the smell of the meds, and tastes great to the cat. Get chicken or turkey baby food, and put a few spoonfuls into a shallow dish. Mix in the liquid medicine. Place the dish on the floor for the cat to explore, preferably in a bathroom where the other cats won't bother him for the baby food. The cat will smell the baby food and eat all of it, and he can't help but to consume the meds too. And there you go, you now have a cat that looks forward to medicine time and who doesn't have to be traumatized with forcing anything down his throat. And in my case, he learned I was the bringer of yummy things.

on 2/28/2006 It is dangerous to quickly squirt medicine toward the back of a cat's throat. Some of the liquid could enter the trachea, not the esophagus, and cause coughing, choking, and/or vomiting. It could even end up in the cat's lungs. The better way is to dispense it slowly and carefully into the side of the mouth.

on 12/19/2005 Most cats just aren't going to cooperate and play along because it is medicine. Until the medicine companies figure out how to make the stuff tuna-flavored it will be a battle for most owners.

I get the medication shaken, the dropper filled, and the bottle set beside a chair at the kitchen table. I then get my fur ball and sit down with her in my lap, facing me. I grasp the back of her neck, which mostly immobilizes her, and then take the dropper and wedge into the side of her jaw. A quick squirt and the medicine is in the back of the throat, swallowed for the most part. I always follow up with a treat to make nice afterward and she usually has forgotten within 3 minutes what has just happened. Mission accomplished!

on 11/22/2005 You should never have to force anything on a cat, including putting liquid down their throat! If you have patience, and are thoughtful, the cat will take the liquid down it's throat without being inhumanely forced. This is bad for the person, as well as the cat! Remain calm, have a consistent pattern (where the cat gets a treat before and after the medicine), shake the container (so the cat relates the sound to what's coming), and take your time. On a flat surface, get along side the cat with your hand petting it and holding at same time. Let the cat get comfortable, let it smell the dropper. Gently place the dropper in the side of the cat's mouth and squirt the liquid into the mouth. Putting some of the medicine on their paws for them to lick is good, too. Intentions matter. Let the cat know you are doing this to help it feel better.

on 11/22/2005 After several unsuccessful attempts to get the liquid medication in Noelle's mouth, we noticed several drops had fallen on her shoulder, which she immediately began to lick off. We now drop it on her shoulder and she even turns to lick it off the dropper!

on 11/22/2005 I have found that if you use a towel to wrap your kitty in, then he can't squirm or scratch you, and it doesn't hurt him. I hold him like a baby on his back and give him the medicine.

on 11/22/2005 I have found that if you wrap your cat in a towel, sort of like a pig in a blanket, and hold it between your knees on the floor, it frees up both hands and the cat can't scratch.