Cats are masters of avoiding their medicine. Some felines will continuously spit out pills no matter how well you hide them in tasty treats. Yet, most pills aren’t optional. Your furry friend needs their prescribed medications to stay in the best shape possible. So, what can you do if they refuse to take necessary medication? Luckily, there are plenty of tricks for how to get a cat to take a pill.
Does Your Cat Need Medication?
Giving a cat a pill is no easy task, so you should first determine if your cat needs medication. Like humans, cats can get prescribed medication for all types of concerns, such as infections, arthritis, anxiety, and kidney disease. If you think your cat might benefit from specific medications, talk to your vet to see if they can prescribe something.
Some feline medications are more important than others. While certain medications help reduce symptoms, others can save your cat’s life. If you’re unsure how important your cat’s pills are, ask your vet for details. Some pills may be fine to skip now and then while others must be taken on a specific schedule for your cat’s safety.
How Often Do Cats Need Pills?
Cat medication frequency varies greatly based on the type of pill and what your cat needs it for. Pills can include monthly preventatives, daily doses, or as-needed medications. Your cat’s prescription should say how often to give it to your pet. When in doubt, ask your vet for confirmation.
How to Get a Cat to Take a Pill
You can’t just hand a cat a pill and ask them to swallow it. Cats don’t understand the importance of medicine. All they see is a gross object that they’re forced to eat. So, they often protest and do anything they can to avoid taking their pill. There are a few ways to get them to ingest it.
Mix the Pill with Their Food
The easiest starting point is putting the pill in your cat’s food and seeing if they eat it that way. Cats that love their food may ingest the pill with the rest of their meal without realizing it. This works best with wet food since it can more easily hide the pill’s scent, but some food-motivated cats will even eat it with dry food.
After your cat is done eating their meal, check to make sure they didn’t leave the pill behind. If your cat free feeds, this isn’t the best method since you can’t easily keep track of if and when they eat the pill.
Hide Medicine in Cat Pill Pockets
Many cats will eat around the pill if it’s in their food bowl. In that case, you need to trick your cat into thinking the medicine is tasty. Pill pockets are a great option. They’re a moldable treat paste that sticks to pills and wraps around them, concealing them inside the flavorful pill pocket.
There are lots of cat pill pocket flavors, including chicken, salmon, and even catnip. Choose the one that your cat finds the most appealing so they’ll hopefully eat it without hesitation.
Crush the Pill (If the Vet Approves)
If the pill is big, it can be easy for cats to find it and spit it out. Yet, if the pill is crushed into many tiny pieces, it’s harder for cats to avoid it. Ask your vet if your cat’s pill will be effective when crushed. Some medications are fine crushed while others lose their protective coating when broken into small pieces. If it’s okay to crush the pill, you can more easily mix it with your cat’s food or treats.
Give Medicine by Mouth
No matter how appealing a treat or pill pocket is, some cats will always find the pill inside and spit it out. If you’ve already tried hiding the treat in a variety of foods and nothing works, you might have to give your cat the pill directly.
While this method isn’t a picnic for you or your cat, it’s often the most effective. You’ll need to gently hold your cat’s head and throw the pill down their throat. Place the pill as far back in their mouth as possible. Tilt their head upright and rub your cat’s throat to encourage swallowing. Lubricating the pill in gravy from canned food can help it go down easier.
Use a Pill Popper for Cats
If there’s a good chance your cat will bite if you throw a pill in their mouth, you may want to use a pill popper instead of your fingers. Pill poppers are like a long syringe that you can place pills inside. You can use this device to get the pill into your cat’s throat without having to put your fingers in their mouth.
Some cats will still put up a fight for this method, but it’s often easier than using your hands. The faster you do it, the better it will be for both you and your cat.
What if Your Cat Still Won’t Swallow the Pill?
Sometimes, none of the methods work. Just when you think your cat has swallowed their pill, they spit it out again, forcing you to try repeatedly. How do you get stubborn cats to take pills? Below are some few tips to help with the process.
Use Different Treats/Food
For food, treats, or pill pockets to cover up the scent of a pill, that food item must be really appealing to your cat. If your cat easily picks the pill out of a chicken-flavored pill pocket, try a different flavor. Consider your cat’s favorite food and see if there’s a pill pocket that matches that flavor. If not, see if there’s a way to hide the treat in your cat’s favorite food.
Have Someone Help You
Giving pills to difficult cats is often a two-person job. If you must give your cat the pill by mouth, they’ll make things extremely difficult if they squirm, scratch, or bite. Have a partner, friend, or family member hold your cat while you get the pill in their mouth. That way, you don’t have to worry about keeping your cat still and giving them a pill at the same time.
Wrap Your Cat in a Towel
For cats that refuse to cooperate even with several people helping, you’ll need to more effectively contain them. Wrap your cat in a towel like a burrito so it’s harder for them to escape. Make sure the towel is snug enough to keep them still without being too tight. One person can hold your cat in a towel while you give them their pill.
Create a Calm Environment
Taking a pill is stressful for many cats, but it becomes worse if they sense that you’re stressed or frustrated too. Offer the pill in a quiet, familiar place that has no loud noises or distractions. If you have to give the pill directly, remain calm and comforting as much as you can while avoiding excessive force. These adjustments might not make the process easy, but it can make it a little more manageable for everyone involved.
Consider Alternative Medication
See if there are other medication options for your feline besides pills. A powder or flavored liquid might be easier to serve, especially if your cat views it as a treat. Some medications even come as a gel that can rub into your cat’s skin. Talk to your vet to find out if alternative medication forms exist for your cat’s prescription.
Ask Your Vet for Help
If you’ve tried everything and you still can’t get a pill down your cat’s throat, visit your vet, especially if it’s a medication your cat can’t go without. Your vet can help you figure out other treatment options or they can help you determine the best method for giving your cat pills. As much as cats hate taking medicine, it’s an essential part of keeping them healthy, so it can’t be ignored.
Alert Your Sitter of Your Cat’s Medication Needs
Even if you get the hang of giving pills to your cat, the process might be difficult for people your cat doesn’t know as well. If you hire a cat sitter, make sure they’re aware of your cat’s medication. Let them know the best way to give the medication, especially if there are any special tricks.
By being upfront with your cat’s medical information, you can find a sitter who’s comfortable giving your cat pills. Be sure to disclose other types of medical treatment too, such as insulin injections, subcutaneous fluids, or topical treatments.
The Comforted Kitty has lots of experienced cat sitters that can give medication even to difficult felines. Whether you need drop-in visits, overnight stays, or live-in house sitting, we have sitters that can help. You’ll feel at ease knowing your cat’s medical needs are met even when you’re away from home. Request a sitter today to book your next cat sitting service.