Medicating Your Cat

Administering pills:

Hold your cat gently and reassuringly on your lap or on the floor in front of you.

For cats, wrapping the whole body securely in a towel leaving only the head free will help protect you.

Talk to your cat soothingly.

Place your left hand (if you’re right-handed) over and around your cat’s head with your thumb and index fingers squeezing his jaws at the corners of his mouth.

Tip the head back until the nose points towards the ceiling.

When your cat opens his/her mouth, drop the pill onto the back of his tongue. (Make sure to get the pill on the back part of your cat’s tongue so that he/she cannot spit it out. This may involve using your finger to push the pill far back on the tongue once you have dropped it in your cat's mouth.)

Lower the head and gently hold the mouth closed while stroking the throat until your cat swallows.

Administering liquid medication:

Use a plastic (not glass) eye dropper or dosing syringe to squirt the medication into the pouch inside your cat’s cheek while your cat has his/her mouth open. (Follow the technique above to get your cat to open the mouth.)

Be careful not to tip your cat's head up so much that he/she will choke.

Also, don’t give more medication than your cat can swallow at one time.

Close the mouth and let your cat swallow before releasing him/her.

**Please note: there are some medications which are flavored and can be given to your cat as you would a treat. You can also purchase pill pockets which you can hide a pill inside. This works well for many cats.