Medicating Your Cat

Pill Pockets:

Pill Pockets are a soft chew with a hollow center with room for a pill inside. We recommend giving them to your cat as a treat first, get your cat hooked, then spike one with the pill. They are available in chicken or salmon flavor. Pill Pockets also make great treats for healthy cats knowing they will likely need a pill at some point in the future.

Flavor Doh:

Flavor Doh is a tub of flavored moldable dough-similar to Pill Pockets-but you use only what you need to cover the pill or capsule completely.This option allows you to hide larger pills or capsules. It is available in chicken or fish flavor.

Baby Food:

Cats love single ingredient human baby food! Try crushing the tablet and mixing into a teaspoon of baby food. Make sure that there are no other ingredients such as onion powder as they can be harmful to your cat. We recommend Gerber 2nd stage Chicken and Gravy, Turkey and Gravy or Beef and Gravy.

Tuna Water:

Tuna meat is not good for your cat, but the water that is poured off the can is a great medicating tool. Simply crush the tablet and mix into the tuna water.You can also mix liquid medication into tuna water to ease administration.

Canned Cat Food:

Many medications can be disguised in your cat’s favorite canned food, or you may choose to use a canned food that is different from what they get each day so that it is special and they only get a small amount at meds time.

Kitty Burrito:

If your cat tries to push your hand away with her paw, try wrapping her in a kitty burrito. Place your cat in the center of a towel and wrap one side at a time over her,leaving only her head sticking out. Make sure it is not too tight around the neck, but tight enough so she can’t get her paws out. Ask us for a demonstration, or view this technique online at the website listed at the end of this handout.

Pill Gun:

A pill gun is a plastic rod with a little rubber cup on the end that holds the pill until the plunger is pressed. It is helpful to use a pill gun if your cat tends to clench their jaw or bite when being pilled.The pill gun can be used either with the scruffing technique or the check bone technique as shown at the website listed at the end of this handout.

Be prepared:

Try keeping medications and supplies in an area where you already spend time with your cat. Keeping things at home as routine as possible will make it easy for you and less stressful for your cat.This will also often times prevent your cat from “catching on” and hiding from you at meds time.

Ask For Options:

If you are having trouble medicating your cat, don’t give up. Ask if there are other options available. Some tablets are available in a liquid form and there are compounding pharmacies that may be able to offer you flavored chewable treats or,in rare instances,a transdermal gel that is simply rubbed on the skin.If you’re struggling to administer necessary medications, our staff offers “pilling” lessons and there may be a pet sitter in your area that can come by and help.

Oral Syringe Parfait:

• Using a 6ml and a 3ml oral medicating syringe and some soft canned food, preferably Science Diet a/d or baby food, draw up 3mls of food in the 3ml syringe.
• Completely pull out the plunger of the 6ml syringe.
• Place the full 3ml syringe down inside the 6ml and express the food,withdrawing the 3ml syringe as you go. This creates a foundation of food at the tip of the 6ml syringe.
• Place any liquid or crushed medication inside the 6ml syringe.
• Place 2mls of food on top of the medication using the 3ml syringe.You are now done with the 3ml syringe.
• Your syringe should now be layered food/medication/food.
• Place the 6ml plunger back into the barrel of the 6ml syringe. A little food-about 1/2ml-will push out of the tip of the 6ml syringe, which is the purpose for putting such a large amount of food in first.
• Now you are ready to give this mixture to your cat. If your cat does not like it as a treat, simply syringe into their mouth using the technique described in the video link below.

Remember to be calm when trying to medicate your cat. If you are stressed or your kitty is upset,take a break and try again later. Make sure to keep a supply of oral syringes, Science Diet a/d, Pill Pockets and even a pill gun on hand so that you have options.Lastly, remember to always reward your cat after administering any type of medication or treatment. You can reward with treats, playtime or affection and doing so will make your cat associate the meds time with something positive.