Cat Medication - How To Give Medication To Your Cat

Anyone who owns a cat will know what a struggle it can be to get your cat to take medication. This brief article on Cat Medication covers some useful techniques which will help you give medication to your cat.

If the cat medication is in pill form then try crushing the pill (you can do this between two spoons) and mixing the powder in the cat's food. Sometimes the cat will sense that something is not quite right and ignore the food so try maybe giving them something different for a change which they may perceive as a treat. Also wet food is easier for disguising the powder.

If the cat medication is the form of a capsule then break open the capsule and sprinkle the contents into the cat's food as above.

If the above techniques fail to work, then talk to your local pharmacy or vet and see if they would prepare the medication in a special flavored gel or liquid which your cat is more likely to consume.

Other techniques require almost forcing the medication down your cat’s throat. You can buy what is usually called a 'pet pillar' which is quite simply a plastic tube which you insert into your cat's mouth and drop the pill or capsule so that it goes to the back of the cats throat. Some of these come with a fancy trigger mechanism which shoots the pill or capsule into the cat’s mouth. You can also try doing this by hand without the pet pillar but you may find the cat will struggle and not open its mouth for you.

If all else fails then I can almost guarantee that this final technique will work but most cat owners hate to do this. Pick the cat up with one hand by grabbing the loose skin/fur behind the neck (sometimes described as grabbing by the scruff of the neck) and then tilt the cat's head backwards so that its mouth is facing upwards. You will find that this temporarily paralyses the cat with its mouth open making it easy for you to drop the medication inside. You then simply lower the cat's head and let go of its neck. Usually it will swallow the medication with an instinctive reaction. The reason why many cat owners do not like to do this is because they think they are hurting the cat in some way and get very frightened when it goes motionless when tilting the head back - but believe me the
cat does not feel a thing and is much better that struggling to force the cat's mouth open in any other way.

About the Author:

For more information and articles on cats and cat health visit http://www.aboutcathealth.info/

 Richard G M Taylor

More Articles 

Introducing A New Kitten To Your Older Cat... - Larry Chamberlain
So, you read somewhere that introducing a new kitten into your home could be great for your existing cat, for companionship. And you remember how much fun your cat was when she was a new kitten, and you would love to re-live those days. It is...

Home Care for the Declawed Cat - Coastal Cat Clinic
Remember, you are now rehabilitating a handicapped indoor animal, so plenty of TLC is necessary, especially for the older cat. You will find that your pet is tender for at least the first 2 weeks after surgery. The normal running, jumping...

Flea Control For Cats And Dogs - Mark Woodcock
As a pet owner I'm sure you'd be frustrated at the sight of your pet scratching and suffering from fleas. If you look into the veterinary arsenal you will see that there are a number of products that help you fight the war against fleas. Of all...

Got A Cat As A Pet? Here's How To Keep Them Healthy... - Michael Erder
Our pet cats are often as close to us as members of our family. In fact, they virtually are members of our family! That's why cat owners should know as much as they can about cat health. Here are the major things to know about caring for your pet...

Nutrition for an Aging Cat - Amanda Baker
All cats are created equal, right? Wrong. Senior cats have special dietary needs, different from adult cats and kittens. Their bodies require different things. Sometimes, you will have to supplement in order to provide them proper nutrition....

Jonathan Cheong - Dog Training One Of The Most Effective Ways Of House Training
Article: Crate training is one of the most effective ways of house training any puppy or dog. Crate training is very efficient, and very effective, since it uses the natural instinct of the dog to achieve the desired result of a clean house and...

Taking Care of an Older Cat - Glenn Cutforth
Cats are not turtles. Okay, I know what you're thinking, people aren't turtles, either. However, when you really think about it, people are a lot closer to turtles than cats in the sense that turtles, as well as people, can live to be 100 years...

Litter Training a Cat - Tony Robinson
When you come home from being gone, at work all day and find the cat has messed all over, or in one area. You have to go and get it cleaned as the cat sits and stares at you as if they have done nothing wrong. This is right! Cats like...

Solar-Induced Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Cats - Mark M Smith DVM
Squamous cell carcinoma is a cancerous disease that most commonly involves skin. Fair-skinned people tend to be predisposed to this type of cancer after chronic, excessive exposure to sunlight. Likewise, white or light-colored cats are also...

Cat Anxiety and Cat Litter Box Problems - Nancy E Wigal
Frazzled felines will sometimes relieve their anxiety by urinating, or marking (spraying) outside the cat litter box. Here are a few of the causes and the solutions to calm your kitty down. Like humans, cats like their routines and daily habits....