Your first attempt is your best attempt, cats learn quickly and are usually much less cooperative as time goes on so be prepared. Close doors and lock cat door before you get any other equipment out. You will be surprised what body language your cat will pick up on and disappear.
Stay calm. If you get nervous an hour before it’s time to tablet so will they. Move slowly, harsh movements scare your cat and they are more likely to lash out.
You may need to change techniques as your cat gets wise. If you waste a tablet or are trying 2 different methods, get replacements from your vet rather than cutting the course short.
Place the tablet between the thumb and index finger, with the other hand (left if right-handed) hold the top of the cat’s head gently using your thumb and index finger to grasp the cheekbones near where the mouth ends.
Gently tilt the cat’s head back and the jaw will naturally open. Use your ring finger to gently lower the bottom jaw and drop the tablet towards the back of the tongue.
The further back in the mouth you get the tablet the better chance you have the cat will swallow the tablet.
Whilst still holding the cat's head stroke the cat’s throat to encourage swallowing. Blowing on the nose lightly also stimulates swallowing.
To help your cat swallow the pill, it is best to squirt some water into the mouth after you give the tablet.
Pill poppers can be very useful to keep your fingers out of the way of the teeth. The pill is lodged in the end of the tip, head held back as above with the left hand. The pill popper tip is then gently inserted to the back of the mouth and the pill is deposited there. These can be purchased from your vet.
Wrapping the cat. This is very helpful when there is only one person. Use a towel to wrap the cat up tightly so that the legs are all tucked away and only the head is protruding. Tuck the cat under your left arm on a flat surface (for right-handed people), and use your right hand to administer the tablet as explained above.
Syringe technique. Crush the tablet into a fine powder; an easy way to do this is between 2 spoons inside one another, collecting the powder on a sheet of paper. Take the end out of a syringe (available from your vet) and place the powder in the syringe with about 1.2 mls of water. Shake gently to dissolve the powder. Use the corner of the syringe gently between the cat’s teeth and aim on an angle backwards but not directly down the cat’s throat. It can be helpful to have cats wrapped (as above). This technique can also be used with powder mixed with very runny/pureed cat food. Your vet will have cans that are runny enough to do this with. Please check with your vet that it is ok to crush the tablets before you try this method.
Hiding the tablet in food/treat. Hiding tablets in food works best for a hungry cat, so if you leave food down all day normally, it is best to change to feeding twice daily for the duration of the treatment, and pick up leftover food between meals. Use a small amount of food or treat to hide the tablet in and don’t feed anything else until it is gone. Tasty treats include sardines, cream cheese, vet recovery diets, baby food (meat flavoured), butter, fresh meat/mince. Avoid onion or garlic in products. The tablet can be placed in whole or can be crushed and powder added. Small dots of treats laid in a trail can be used, hiding the tablet in the 3rd/4th dot and following on with a few more dots after the hidden tablet.
Butter on the leg. Cats are naturally very clean animals and will clean off anything they get stuck to their coat. We can use this to our advantage by mixing tablets crushed into powder as described above with butter. Use as little butter as possible (start ¼ teaspoon) and smear on front legs for the cat to wash off.
If you really can’t get the medication into your cat let your vet know so an alternate arrangement can be made.
Animal Care Vets is actively involved in our local community. We support a number of charities, including the SPCA. We also care for the Hawkes Bay Police dogs. Our customers know by experience that they can rely on us for sound advice on treatment options and that their pet is in the very best hands with our team.
