Other health problems

How to Give a Cat a Pill

 
Josie F. Turner
By Josie F. Turner, Journalist specialized in Animal Welfare. Updated: February 22, 2018
How to Give a Cat a Pill
Cats

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We all know of the genuine and independent character of cats, but the fact is that these domestic felines need all our care, as they are susceptible to suffer numerous diseases, as many other animals and humans can. This is why sometimes, your cat may need to take oral medications and some of them may not be in liquid form, but in the form of capsules, pills or tablets.

We know that your pet will not take pills lightly, so in this article AnimalWised we provide you with some of the best tips and tricks to give a cat a pill.

You may also be interested in: How to Get Your Dog to Take Pills After Surgery

Contents

  1. It's important for your cat to tolerate contact well
  2. Hide the pill in their favorite food or treat
  3. Dilute the pill in water
  4. Popping the pill in your cat's mouth
  5. Calm your cat before giving them medication

It's important for your cat to tolerate contact well

Cats are animals very susceptible to stress and although they can be very affectionate also it is possible that they do not tolerate the contact well, especially when they have not been those that have come to look for the mimes of its human family.

Prevention is better than curing, which is why it is important to get your cat used to contact since they are kittens, especially to contact that occurs close to their face or snout. Otherwise, it will be virtually impossible for you to give the give a cat a pill.

How to Give a Cat a Pill - It's important for your cat to tolerate contact well

Hide the pill in their favorite food or treat

Cats have a very refined taste when it comes to the food that we can offer them, either homemade or a specific feed, which can be dry or wet, although those with a wet texture are more nutritious and appetizing.

One of the simplest ways is to give them their medicine effectively is hiding pills in their favorite treat and offer it directly from your hand as this will ensure that they have effectively swallowed the pill. Crushing the pill and mixing it with wet food is also a good idea, especially if you normally feed them dry feed, as they will devour this treat in no time.

How to Give a Cat a Pill - Hide the pill in their favorite food or treat

Dilute the pill in water

Diluting the pill or tablet in water is a very practical way of giving a pill to a cat, although obviously to make sure they get the medication they need we will have to administer the liquid through a needleless plastic syringe. Follow these steps in order to do so effectively:

  1. Crush the pill well with a mortar or similar, until it's totally turned into powder.
  2. Get a glass with a small amount of water and fill the syringe with it.
  3. Pour the content into a second glass of water and add the powdered pill.
  4. Stir until the pill is completely diluted
  5. Take all of the liquid in the syringe
  6. Carefully put the syringe at the side of the cat's mouth, never the front, as it will allow your cat to swallow the solution as soon as it's in their mouth.
  7. Gently press the syringe and administer in small doses. Never squirt the whole syringe in your cat's mouth or it will scare your cat away. Be careful not to hurt your cat's gums and be patient when giving the small doses.

Before choosing this method it is very important to talk to the vet since some tablets are coated precisely to reduce the damage they can produce in the cat's stomach (this is very typical in anti-inflammatories), in addition, diluting a drug may affect its proper absorption.

If the medication is in the form of capsules it will also be possible to dilute the powder in water (always consulting with the professional beforehand), the only case in which this method would not be possible is in the case of extended release capsules.

How to Give a Cat a Pill - Dilute the pill in water

Popping the pill in your cat's mouth

If your cat has a fairly calm character and is perfectly used to you handling them, then you can try and administer the pill directly into their mouth. In order to do so, you have different methods, although the most effective is to sit down and put your cat belly up on your lap. Then, hold your cat's jaw with one of your thumbs and, with another finger from the same hand, put it in between their teeth to open your cat's mouth. With your free hand, pop the pill in their mouth through the gap you opened with your fingers, making sure your cat's head is facing the ceiling. This will allow the pill to effectively be swallowed by your furry feline. Make sure you close the cat's mouth straight after you have inserted the pill to make sure they don't spit it out.

To help your cat swallow the pill, you can give them some water or chicken broth to make sure the pill doesn't just sit in the esophagus, as they could easily vomit it straight after swallowing it.

How to Give a Cat a Pill - Popping the pill in your cat's mouth

Calm your cat before giving them medication

Both your cat and you will have a very negative experience if you try to give them their medication when you notice that your cat is nervous, since most cats are very intuitive and can realize that your behavior is somewhat strange.

Before giving your cat a pill you should stay with him long enough until they feel completely calm. Remember that you are responsible for your cat's pharmacological treatment, so treat this issue as the highest priority.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Give a Cat a Pill, we recommend you visit our Other health problems category.

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