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How do I pill my cat?

January 23rd, 2018

When your cat becomes sick sometimes there is no avoiding having to administer medication in pill form. This can be a tricky task! You might need to recruit a second person to help you depending on how wiggly your kitty friend is. The way you restrain the cat can really help you out. I find it easiest to be behind the cat so they don’t see what’s coming and that way I can use my body to prevent the cat from backing up. Either squat down on the ground and have the cat facing away from you or put the cat on a table facing away from you. Once you are in this position, put your arm around the cat in a hug like manner and use one hand to open the top of the cat’s mouth. Once the mouth is opened use your other hand to place the pill as far back in the throat as you can. Immediately shut and hold the mouth closed while rubbing the outside of the cat’s throat. You can also try gently blowing on the cat’s nose/face which encourages them to swallow. Once the cat swallows open the mouth and confirm that the pill is gone. Some cat’s are very sneaky and just wait for you to walk away before spitting it out so it is important to confirm that it is really gone! If you are really struggling you can purchase a “pet piller”. A pet piller is similar to a long syringe. At the tip there is a place to put the pill. You then put the piller into the back of the cat’s throat and push the syringe which catapults the pill far enough back in the throat that the cat will swallow it more easily. I would still recommend shutting the mouth quickly and rubbing the throat to encourage the cat to swallow. Try to be quick and firm from the get go, the longer you take to administer the pill and the more failed attempts the smarter the cat will get and will know how to work against you. If only we could tell them we are helping them! Don’t forget to always confirm that the pill is gone.

 

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