Do you need to give your cat a pill and just dread it? Giving a cat a pill can be challenging even for experienced feline caregivers. We want to start trying to give the pill the simplest way possible. Some kitties make it very easy and will take the pill just by simply hiding it in a treat. Other cats might need a pill popper to get their dose. Your vet might be able to give you a pill popper or you can buy one. However, if you have a cat like our Pooh Bear, neither of these methods work!
Let’s go step by step on how to give a pill to a persnickety kitty!
- Calmly approach your cat wherever he is.
- Kneel down over him with one hand on his chest.
- Have your feet positioned so he can’t scooch out backwards and get out from behind.
- Gently open his mouth and put the pill on the back of his tongue.
- Close his mouth and let him swallow by gently rubbing his throat.
- You may need to follow this up with a small syringe of water just to be sure he swallowed (cats can be sneaky).
- Most importantly, follow up with his favor treat!
It’s important when giving a pill to a cat to stay as stress free as possible. If you get anxious or stressed your kitty will feel that stress and act upon it.
Some other tips for giving your cat a pill. Consider trimming their nails before doing the pilling process. Sometimes it might be easier to have a second set of hands to have the pill ready to go and the syringe with a little water. Also, the quicker you can go the less stressed the cat will be. If you have a laid back cat in the house, maybe do a couple practice rounds on him (minus giving the actual pill) so you are comfortable with the process.
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