You may be one of the lucky owners who can easily administer a pill to your cat. For others though, the thought of placing their fingers near an unhappy cat’s teeth brings images of bloody fingers. Then there are the owners who think they’ve successfully managed to get the medication into the cat, only to discover the pill on the carpet a few days later. Pilling a cat who doesn’t want to be pilled could be the subject of an entire comedy routine… of course it’s not funny if you’re the one doing the pilling. Here are some tips to make the process easier.
· If your cat is prescribed a pill but past experience has told you it’s much easier to administer liquid medication, ask your veterinarian if it comes in liquid form. Knowing your cat’s preference can reduce stress.
· Flavors such as chicken, tuna, or beef can be added to liquid medication. Many veterinarians have the flavorings in their office but if not, your local pharmacy may. Ask your veterinarian whether the flavoring can be added to a particular liquid prescription.
· Some medications can be reformulated into transdermal form by a compounding pharmacy. Transdermal medications absorb through the skin at a slow rate. This type of medication is usually rubbed on the inside of the ear tip for absorption through the skin. You’ll need to use a finger cot to prevent absorption through your own skin during administration to make sure kitty gets the entire prescribed amount. Fingers cots are available at any pharmacy. Ask your veterinarian if your cat’s prescription can be reformulated.
· Don’t crush a pill in food because your cat has an acute sense of smell and will detect it. Crushing a coated pill into food also exposes the bitter-tasting medicine and most likely cause the cat to reject his meal. If he only partially eats then he won’t be getting the appropriate medication amount.
· If your cat likes treats there’s a product available called Pill Pockets that can make medicating much easier. The soft treat has a pocket where you can hide the pill and then close it up. Pill Pockets have a strong taste and scent and many cats readily eat them. In fact, I often use Pill Pockets as treats when clicker training cats because they’re easy to break apart so just one becomes several small rewards for the cat in training. The product is available at pet supply stores and online.
· Pill guns are another option for administering a pill into a cat’s mouth. It’s a plastic plunger-like device that holds the pill in a little gripper. Pills guns are widely available.
If you end up having to give a pill directly to your cat and you’ve been unsuccessful, you can find the step-by-step technique in Starting from Scratch.
Starting from Scratch
Pam Johnson-Bennett is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant and owner of Cat Behavior Associates, LLC.
