How to Give a Pill to a Cat

Image courtesy of Tina Phillips at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Giving a pill to a cat seems like the Mission: Impossible, but some tips may help any cat owner to give a tablet safely. The first thing to consider is the pill. Many pills have to be given on an empty stomach and cannot be mixed with the food. Those pills are the hardest to give and need calm approach, confidence, and a clear plan what to do. In order to give the cat the pill successfully, we cannot be nervous and worry too much whether we can do it or not. Any sign of nervousness, the cat will feel which can result in its uneasiness. This, in turn, represents the huge obstacle. It is safer to delay giving the pill some other time. Since, the most difficult task is to give the cat the pill that could not mix with food, we will examine the steps on how to do it safely and easily. The article “How to Give Your Cat a Tablet” gives us step-by-step instructions.

• The person giving the tablet should hold the tablet between the thumb and forefinger of one hand

• Place the other hand on the top of your cat’s head (it is best to approach the cat from the side rather than from above – this is less threatening for
your cat)

• The head should be gently but firmly held between the thumb and fingers, with your thumb and forefinger extending downwards to either side of the jaw at
the corner of the mouth

• Gently tilt the head upwards, and use the middle finger of the hand holding the tablet to pull the lower jaw down and open the mouth
• Keep the head tilted up and quickly place or drop the tablet as far back on your cat’s tongue as you can. Aim for the centre of the tongue as far back as
you can see – the further back the tablet goes the harder it is for your cat to do anything other than swallow it!

• Hold the jaw closed for a few seconds and wait for your cat to swallow. Gently rubbing the throat under the chin may help. If your cat licks his lips or
nose, you know he has swallowed

• Sometimes your cat may not swallow the tablet on the first attempt and may spit it out. So long as your cat does not become distressed, you can try
repeating the procedure. Always try to get the tablet as far back on the tongue as possible. Using a pill-giver can also be helpful

Administering pills by following these instructions can be much easier if we call another person, preferably the one our cat knows well, to assist us. Not only that this person could help our cat to relax by stroking but he or she will also make us feel more secure and confident. Two pairs of hands are always better than one. Giving the pill directly to cat’s mouth requires a clear plan, which has to provide us in advance with all necessary things we may need during this act. And, the most important thing to remember is that we can always ask our vet for help if some problems occur.