Giving Pills To Your Cat: How To Do It?
Those who live with felines know how difficult it can be to give your cat pills, just like any other type of medication.
Cats generally have an indomitable character and hate going to the vet or taking medicine. Furthermore, these little beings have very sharp claws and teeth. So how do you give a cat pills and not get hurt in the attempt?
We won’t be able to convince him with loving words or explaining how good it will be for him to take them. Below, we will give some tips to make this task easier.
4 ways to give your cat pills
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Training
Some veterinarians recommend anticipating the need to give your cat pills and getting him used to this gesture since his childhood. That way, when it’s really necessary to give them a pill, there’s no problem.
The idea is to get the cat used to tolerating the contact that will be necessary when he is going to take a medication.
The first thing is for him to get used to having his face and mouth gently touched. You need to do this regularly, in short periods. You can give him a prize or pet him after this contact, so he can associate you with something positive.
Once he gets used to this contact, you can use your thumb and middle finger to slightly open his mouth.
This gesture can be accompanied by introducing a small piece of food into the mouth that does not need to be chewed. Always followed by a prize or a caress, so that he believes it to be a joke or something good.
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Crush the tablet and mix it with the food
This method consists of crushing the pill and mixing it with your cat’s favorite food. The objective is to “hide” the smell of the medicine thanks to the aroma of the food, so that the kitten can eat it without noticing.
But those who have a cat as a pet know that this camouflage will be very difficult.
On the one hand, this technique is often not effective because, if the cat agrees to eat, it will be difficult to know if he has taken the full dose of medicine. Also, the cat may associate the food with the taste of the medicine and stop eating.
Likewise, we should know that on the market there are certain pills, such as extended-release pills, which should not be cut, or worse, crushed, because they lose their effect.
On the other hand, some medications should not be taken with food and, on the contrary, should be taken on an empty stomach.
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Hide the pill in a piece of food
This can be an effective method when giving your cat a pill. It consists in choosing a food that the kitten is used to eating and giving it only a small piece, which does not need to be chewed.
The idea is to hide the pill, whole, inside a mouthful and put it in the cat’s mouth, to be swallowed whole.
Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to have some goodies ready. In this way, the cat can be offered a piece without the pill before and after giving the medication.
It may also happen that the animal realizes that its food is not the same as at other times. In that case, it’s not worth insisting, because he will reject you.
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give the whole pill
Finally, while it may seem a little drastic, putting the entire pill directly into his mouth and forcing him to swallow may be the only way to ensure he gets the dose of medication he needs. You will need to immobilize him to perform this maneuver.
The first thing to do is get a towel or sheet and gently wrap your pet inside it. This will allow your feet to be covered and glued to your body. Only the head should be free.
Next, you should place the cat on the thighs of the giver, with its head toward the knees. Now that the cat is immobilized, you must open its muzzle with the help of one hand.
With the other hand, the pill will be released into the cat’s mouth, on the back of the tongue. When you close the muzzle, the cat will swallow the pill.
Which of the suggestions did you like the most? Try them all and choose the one that best suits your cat.
