Giving Medication to a Cat
Maybe you are one of the many cat owners that have experienced difficulty in giving a cat some medication. Cats are notorious for escaping the grip of an owner trying to give it medicine, and they are finicky enough to notice when medicine has been snuck into their food.
Put the Pill Down the Throat
Pilling a cat doesn’t have to be that difficult. The best thing to do is to give it at a time when your cat is sleeping or resting peacefully. Oftentimes you can sneak it in then and they won’t even know what happened. But cats are good at spitting a pill back out, coughing it from the back recesses of their throat, or hiding it in their mouth until you’re not looking. So as difficult as it may seem, it is important to get the pill way back in the throat. A sleeping cat caught off guard will often take the pill just fine.
If you’re still having trouble, many vet clinics and pet stores sell “pill guns” which are long plastic tubes that sort of plunge the pill down the throat. They are helpful for cats that try to bite when being pilled, and for those owners struggling to get the pill all the way down.
To ensure your cat has indeed let the pill go down, hold your cat’s mouth closed with their head tipped slightly up until they swallow. You can also blow in their nose gently or stroke their neck to encourage them to swallow.
Hide the Pill
If you can’t or are unwilling to use the shove-down-the-throat method, you may be able to hide the pill in food or a treat. But be aware, because cats are usually able to pick a pill out, or will leave the entire treat uneaten in protest. Tuna or moist foods are usually the best foods to hide pills in. Liquid medication can be given the same way as pills. Shoot the liquid down the throat or mix with food.
Some cat owners simply aren’t able to give their cat medication. Ask your vet about other options, such as an injectable form of the medicine that they can give. Many vets will also let you bring your cat in for a medication administration if you aren’t able.
