How to give your cat a pill
Make sure that you:
Have everything you need prepared and ready in advance.
Have enough time and a clear plan of what you will do.
Be gentle with your cat, keep calm, and avoid putting yourself at risk.
If your cat will not take the tablet with food, you will need to give the tablet by hand. Gentle, safe restraint of your cat is important, and it helps a lot to have two people. Have the cat sit on the table, facing away from the person giving the tablet but facing the person holding a front paw in each hand. If the cat is moving around a bit, have the cat sit on the floor, with both people sitting on their knees. The person giving the tablet gently holds the cat between their knees, feet together so it can’t back up.
Giving the tablet:
Make sure you have everything ready before you restrain your cat. Try to do this quickly but calmly, so that your cat does not get upset.
The person giving the tablet holds 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 your cat from the side rather than from above as this is less threatening).
The head is held gently but firmly 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 its lips or nose, you know it has swallowed. To help your cat swallow, you can use a 3ml syringe with water (ask your vet for one), gently inserted in the corner of the mouth.
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