How Can I Give my Cat a Pill?
Cats are famous for having their own mind. Obviously this is also noticeable when you try to give your cat a pill. Very few four-legged friends will swallow the medicine willingly.
Since its administration is usually intended for a specific reason, you can of course not let your four-legged friend get away with its stubborn head in this case. In the following, we are therefore giving you some tips on how you can best proceed in order to give your cat a tablet.
Flavoured Tablets for Cats
It is hardly a secret that cats can be difficult to convince to take medication. Some tablets for cats therefore contain added flavourings to ensure better acceptance by the four-legged friends.
If this applies to the medication in question, you can try giving your cat the tablet as a snack. With some animals this works quite well, while others still steadfastly refuse to take it. In this case, you have no choice but to resort to various tricks to get your four-legged friend to take the pill, which is important for its health.
Hiding the Pill in the Cat's Food
One of the ways to give your cat a pill is to hide the medication in your four-legged friend's food. With a little luck, the cat will not notice the tablet and will simply take it with its meal.
It is of course important that you then check that the tablet has really been eaten and that it is not left behind in the bowl of the four-legged along friend with leftover food. Apart from that, you should ask the veterinarian in advance whether the medication in question is suitable for administering with food or whether the cat must take it on its own.
Hiding the Pill in Cat Treats
Instead of putting the tablet in the food bowl, you can hide it in a small treat. For example, take a small piece of meat or something else that your four-legged friend particularly likes to eat and insert the tablet into it.
Make sure that the tablet disappears completely in the cat treat and offer your four-legged friend the little delicacy either by hand or in their food bowl. As with hiding in the food, you must of course make sure that your cat has not only eaten the snack, but also the tablet.
Crushing the Tablet and Mixing it with Food
Experience has shown that it does not always work to hide an entire tablet in the cat's food. If your four-legged friend only eats its food and the tablet stays in the bowl, it can help to crush the tablet into powder and only then to mix it with particularly tasty cat food, such as wet food from I love my cat.
Unfortunately, this procedure does not work for every cat either. However, it is definitely worth a try. Another potential problem to be aware of is that dosing can be difficult at times. Therefore, to make sure that your cat has consumed all of the medication, it is important that the food bowl has been completely emptied if possible.
How to Put a Pill Straight into Your Cat's Mouth
Cats cannot always be tricked into taking medication by mixing it with food. If your four-legged friend does not take its tablet in this way, you have no choice but to administer it directly into its mouth. This endeavour can of course prove to be a challenge. However, sometimes it cannot be avoided. It is important that you treat your cat gently and that you are determined, but not forceful.
If possible, have someone help you administer the tablet. Put your four-legged friend on the floor or the dining table. Sit or stand behind your cat. Now grasp your four-legged friend's chest with your hands and hold the front legs at the level of the elbows with two fingers. This way you will keep your cat's claws under control while you are administering the tablet.
Now take the pill between the fingertips of your thumb and index finger. With the middle finger of the same hand, press the lower jaw of the four-legged friend down and place the medication as far back as possible in the centre of the cat's tongue. Hold the mouth shut for a few seconds until you notice that the cat has swallowed the tablet.
In order to encourage the tablet to slide down the oesophagus quicker, it can help to cover it with a little butter or cooking oil beforehand. You can also use a small syringe to give your four-legged friend a few drops of water into the side of the closed mouth to stimulate its swallowing reflex. If your cat spits out the tablet despite all the measures taken, you must repeat the procedure.
Administering Tablets to Cats – Our Conclusion
As you can see, it is not that easy to give a cat a pill. However, the tips from this article should help you to successfully administer your four-legged friend's medication. No matter how stubborn your cat may be, it is of course important that you always remain calm and that you do not become loud or even use violence.
If you find it difficult to give your cat a tablet against its will and to hold your four-legged friend with the necessary firmness, just remember that the whole procedure is for their own good and that taking the medicine cannot be avoided.