Advice on giving a cat a pill

**CalliesMom** · 09-12-2005, 10:05 PM

My kitties are pretty easy to pill once you catch them. They see one being pilled and the other two take off

I have to wrap them burrito style in a towel or blanket. Hold open the mouth and shove the pill down...close the mouth and breathe on the nose forcing them to swallow. LOL

All the kitties, except one, at my old work were medicated with a piller (8 cats 3 Xs/day for a month UGH!). They were probably easier to do that way. Scruff them and put the piller in their mouth. Shoot pill down throat. I never had any real problems except with one who was terrified of me. I had to crunch the pill up in his food

**furrykidsmother** · 09-13-2005, 09:48 AM

Just wondering how Maya did taking her pill. Hope it went well and the dress fitting too!

**Samantha Puppy** · 09-13-2005, 10:04 AM

Ha. The pill. WELL. I tried doing it alone, using the arm of the sofa for leverage. I massaged her throat. She hacked it back out and it hit my cheek. So then I tried getting on my knees on the floor and trapping her between my legs. That didn't work. My husband came out and got nice and scratched up while I shoved the pill as far back as I could and massaged her throat. I thought we had it...

... Until the skank went over to the water dish and hacked it into there! It was rendered ungivable so I will be contacting the vet for another pill today.

**furrykidsmother** · 09-13-2005, 10:08 AM

Poor you and poor Maya!! I hope you have better luck with the next one!!

**Cataholic** · 09-13-2005, 11:24 AM

If the pill isn't huge, you could crush it up sooooo fine, and put it in a tasty treat. Mom does that with one of her cats.

**RedHedd** · 09-13-2005, 01:18 PM

or if it's a cutable pill, cut it into smaller bits that are easier for the cat to swallow. I aim for "cat-throat-size"

**JenWhite** · 09-13-2005, 01:24 PM

I would check with the vet before crushing the pill in case it is a time released med. I crushed a TR pill and when our vet found out, she wasn't very happy

**Catsnclay** · 09-13-2005, 02:37 PM

Originally posted by JenWhite
I would check with the vet before crushing the pill in case it is a time released med. I crushed a TR pill and when our vet found out, she wasn't very happy

Good idea, the last thing you need on your hands is a *high* kitty!

We use the baby food method: Yoshi is on a liquid Rx and Fluffy takes capsules, so I use Gerber's chicken dinner (Important that you do NOT use baby food that contains onions - very bad for kitties!!

) They each get a dolop of BF mixed with their meds, they just eat it right up!

When Lucky needed his pills, our vet gave us a pill popper, and after a few tries (I truly thought I was gaging him) we got it down right.

Queenscoopalot - just love that !! Have seen other how to's but this one is funny

**jenluckenbach** · 09-13-2005, 03:30 PM

SUGGESTION.......If you need to go to the vet to pick up another pill, take the cat along and tell them to do it.

**Don Juan's mom** · 09-13-2005, 04:40 PM

Originally posted by QueenScoopalot
It's easy! Instructions below.........

Pilling Cats:
1. Cradle cat in crook of left arm. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply presure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop in pill and allow cat to swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Repeat process.

Thanks a lot! I've got an audition tonight, and reading this made my mascara run all over my face!

Liz