Overview:

Pilling a cat would have to be one of the most dreaded aspects of cat care. Cats are smart & will often be able to sniff out any ideas we may have about tricking them into taking a pill such. Hopefully this article will help cat owners to pill their cat with minimal stress to both themselves and their cat.

• Using your left hand, place your thumb & forefinger on either side of the cat's face, on the gumline. Tilt the cat's head up until the jaw opens.
• Hold the tablet between your thumb & index finger in your right hand. With the middle finger, place it on the front teeth of the bottom jaw to open the mouth fully & place the pill well onto the back of the tongue. You will see a 'V' shaped area, this is the best place to aim for.
• Close the mouth & blow on the cat's nose & massage the throat. This will stimulate your cat to swallow. If your cat licks it's nose, the pill has been swallowed.
• Follow up with a syringe full of water to help the pill go down.

Difficult to pill cats:

If your cat is proving difficult to pill there are several methods you could try.

• Wrapping in a towel & following the instructions above.
• Have somebody help hold the cat while you give him/her the tablet.
• Purchase a pill gun or pill dispenser from your veterinarian or pet shop. This is a hollow plastic dispenser making it easier to get the pill into your cat's mouth.
• Gelatine capsules can be purchased from some suppliers. These are empty capsules in which you put the tablet in, making them easier to administer.
• Compounding pharmacies are able to take a tablet & compound it into liquid form, which carers may find easier to give to their cat.