If your vet has given you pills to give your cat, you might be wondering how you're going to accomplish this task. It's not like cats simply gobble up the pill as soon as you put it near their mouth. It is more likely that you'll have to devise a plan to get it into their system. So, grab a friend and follow these steps to ensure that your cat swallows the pill every time you need them to.
Step 1: Hold the Cat in Place
Pick a surface that's non-slippery so that your cat won't slide away from you. Ask your friend to hold the cat in an upright/sitting position. The cat should face away from your friend. Your friend's hands should hold the cat on its side just above the elbows. Note: Some folks like to "scruff" a cat to restrain them, but this not a good option when trying to give a pill.
Step 2: Place the Pill in the Cat's Mouth
Hold the pill between your forefinger and thumb. With your other hand, gently tilt that cat's head upward with your hand on top of its head in front of the ears.
Use the middle finger of the hand you're holding the pill with to lower your cat's jaw. Once the lowered, quickly insert the pill as far back into the cats mouth as possible, resting the pill on the back of the tongue.
Step 3: Close the Cat's Mouth
Immediately after inserting the pill, close the cats jaw and hold it closed for a few seconds. Rub the throat gently until you notice that the cat wants to lick his lips or nose. When this occurs, your cat has successfully swallowed the pill.
Step 4: Repeat if Necessary
If your cat is a clever one, it may try to fool you into thinking that it swallowed the pill. Then just as you remove your hands, it spits it out. If the pill ends up on the table or floor, repeat these steps. Hint: Ask your friend to continue to hold the cat until you're sure the cat swallowed the pill. A cat can be difficult to get a hold of a second time if you need to repeat this process.
If nobody's available to help administer the pill, ask the vet if you can break up the medication into the cat's food. Keep in mind that your cat needs to eat all the food to obtain all the medicine. Additionally, some medications are not appropriate for food mixing, such as capsules.
Share this article with other cat lovers who might need to administer some medication from time to time. For more tips, contact a vet such as Andrew's Square Pet Clinic.
Share29 December 2014
Animal emergencies happen quite often, and I have seen a lot of different injuries at the veterinary office I work at. Vehicle incidents, falls, and fights with other animals can all cause these injuries. Some of the most surprising emergencies I see though, are when pets eat substances that make them ill. Dogs and cats can both get sick by ingesting flowers, essential oils, and certain types of food items that humans eat. I even see some animals that become ill when they eat shoes, towels, and their own toys. I know that the vast majority of pet owners love their animals dearly. Most medical emergencies are purely accidental. You can easily save your precious feline or canine from harm as long as you know how the most common injuries occur. The articles posted here can help you with this, so start reading to make sure your pet remains healthy.