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 Giving a pill:
The traditional position for pilling your
cat is to place her on an elevated surface.
Because it can be a struggle to keep her
there, here’s an alternative method:
Kneel on the floor, sitting back on your
heels. Open your legs in a V position and
place the cat in the center of the V, facing
away from you at an angle. If she tries to
back away, she’ll have nowhere to go. Wear
jeans or long pants to prevent scratches.
Put your palm over her head and apply gentle
pressure to either side of her mouth, behind
her canine teeth, with your thumb on one
side and your index finger on the other.
Hold the pill in your other hand between
thumb and index finger. Use another finger
of the hand holding the pill to pry open the
mouth by putting pressure on the lower jaw.
Place the pill on the back of the tongue.
Don’t toss the pill down her throat, or
you’ll risk aspiration.
Coating the pill with butter may help it go
down more easily as well.
When you’re done, don’t clamp the mouth
closed or she’ll be unable to swallow.
Offer a drink of water afterward. Humans
don’t take pills dry, and animals shouldn’t
either. If she doesn’t want any water
though, don’t force her.
Try offering a treat before and after the
pill. Sometimes this cam distract her enough
that you’ll be able to pill her quickly.
Giving liquid medication:
Use the positioning technique described
above.
Liquid medication can be dispensed into the
pouch between the cat’s cheek and molars.
Slide the dropper into the pouch and release
the medication. Don’t administer all of it
at once, or it’ll dribble out of her mouth.
Instead, give a little at a time, allowing
her to swallow.
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