Coaxing Kitty to Swallow: Administering Pills

If your cat s sick, there are many things that you can do to help him or her regain health. A vet will be able to explain to you all of the treatment options available. Sometimes, this means administering medications to your pet, and pills can be especially difficult to get your cat to eat. In fact, many pet owners think that their cat has eaten a pill, but they later find it on the floor or in the food bowl! There are many ways you can ensure that your kitty is swallowing all of the proper medications in order to heal as quickly as possible.

Remember, no matter how old your cat gets, you’ll never be able to explain to him or her that a pill is the first step to feeling better. Therefore, in order to teach a cat the importance of pets, you must teach a pet to be nonresistant to pills—or things that look like pills! Many cat treats that you purchase are actually in a similar size to pills and can be given to your cat regularly to get him or her used to pills. That way, if your cat ever needs pills, he or she will not resist. When you do this, give your cat the pill, and then immediately give your cat the pill-shaped treat.

If your cat has not had pills before, don’t worry—you can still get them into your cat’s system. Most cats will not resist pills at first if they do not know what they are. Start with the pill-shaped treats—cat chocolate is a good place to start. You can feed the cat a few of these pill-like treats, and then the real pill. Follow up with the treats once again.

You can also hide the pill so that the animal swallows it without realizing what he or she is doing. Push your cat’s pill into a chocolate treat that is made for cats (never you chocolate made for humans), or talk to your vet about other appropriate ways to cover the pill. Some people coat the pill in butter. Make sure, however, that your cat can have the pill with food. In some cases, your cat needs the medication on an empty stomach.

If your cat still won’t swallow the pill, you can also push the pill down his or her throat. This may seem a bit cruel, but if your pet needs the medication, it is the best choice. You can purchase pill pushers, but it is usually more convenient and effective if you do it by hand. Your vet can demonstrate how to push up on your pet’s mouth to insert the pill without getting bit. Stroke the cat’s throat and insert some water into the cat’s mouth to make him or her swallow. Pills and medication are very important to your pet, so make sure that your pet is getting them to stay healthy.