How to Give Medication to Cats Easily – Giving medicine to cats for some cat lovers is not an easy matter. Sometimes we have to ‘fight’ with our beloved cats so that they can swallow medicine intended for cats. Not infrequently the war results in scratches on the hands and body parts of cat lovers.
I also experienced the same problem when I first had to give worm medicine to my cat. I used various methods, from mixing it with food to the most barbaric method, but instead, it traumatized my beloved cat.
Once I tried mixing medicine with Nutriplus gel, the funny thing is that my cat knew my trick and in the end, my cat didn’t want to consume Nutriplus gel at all even though I sincerely gave it to him (not to give medicine), and the sad thing is that the nutriplus gel, which is quite pricey, was still intact because none of my cats want to eat it.
The next trick is to slip the medicine between the dry food. I thought this method would work, but after my cat left its feeding place, I still found the medicine that I slipped in its food bowl.
Finally, because I lost my mind, I gave the medicine with the help of my sister. I was in charge of hugging and cuddling the cat, and my sister put the medicine in the cat’s mouth. This trick worked even though I got a few scratches on my hands, but it turned out that the experience was traumatic for my cat. After that, my cat immediately panicked if I was in the position of ‘carrying’ him, to this day my cat hates being carried.
It turns out there is a way to give medicine to cats, a fairly effective and easy method that you can apply at home. Let’s take a look at how to give medicine to cats easily:
Tools & Materials You Need
- Wear long-sleeved clothes to avoid scratches
- A towel/cloth that is wide enough
- Plastic injection
- Spet/Pill Thrower (If Available)
- Drinking water for cats
- Cat medication according to dosage.
How to Give Medicine to Cats
- Prepare the medicine that you will give to the cat, if the medicine is in tablet/capsule form, also prepare water that has been put into a plastic syringe, this water will be useful for pushing the tablet/pill into the cat’s throat. Place the medicine in a position that is easy for you to reach as soon as the cat’s mouth is open. If using a pill popper, place the medication into the popper device. If the medication is in liquid form, use a plastic syringe to administer the medication into the cat’s mouth. And don’t forget, make sure the medication given is by the dosage and instructions.
- Use a towel to ‘swaddle’ the cat, the position is like swaddling a baby. Wrap the towel/cloth around the cat’s body until only its head is sticking out. Don’t be too tight when wrapping the cloth, the important thing is that the cat is wrapped in the cloth. This aims to limit your cat’s movement space.
- Place the cat in a place at your waist level, such as a table or washing machine, so that you can move more freely. Hold the cat’s front, and the cat’s back.
- Next, open your cat’s mouth. It’s a bit difficult for those of you who are doing it for the first time. How to open a cat’s mouth is as follows:
- Place your thumb on one side and your index finger on the other side of the cat’s mouth along the cheek where the jaw hinge is, then position the cat’s head slightly upwards.
- Apply gentle pressure until the cat opens its mouth by slightly pressing the cat’s lower jaw until the cat opens its mouth.
- When the cat’s mouth is open, quickly put the medicine into the cat’s mouth. If you are using a pill popper, insert the popper into the cat’s mouth as follows. The following position is also a way to give liquid medicine to cats using a plastic syringe.
- If you give tablets/capsules without the help of a pill popper, use your thumb and forefinger to insert the medicine into the base of the tongue. If the cat’s mouth is not wide enough, use your middle finger to pull the bottom of the cat’s mouth slightly. After the medicine is in, give a little water using an injection tool so that the medicine is pushed into the throat. Do this step quickly.
- Close the cat’s mouth as soon as the medicine is in and position the cat’s head slightly upwards so that the cat swallows the medicine. Hold your cat until you are sure the medicine has been swallowed. Otherwise, your cat will immediately run away and the medicine will be vomited again. Or sometimes because of the bitterness of the medicine, your cat’s mouth will foam a little and your cat will meow looking for water, that’s a cat’s reaction after taking medicine (not all cats, but mine experienced something like that)
- Give praise or a reward shortly after the ritual is finished in the form of a favorite snack/food after your cat has finished taking the medicine. This aims to ensure that the cat can be more cooperative in the future because he will get used to receiving gifts after taking medicine.
- Prepare water in your cat’s bowl, then offer him water. Drinking will help the medicine you give to be digested properly and prevent the medicine from getting stuck in the throat. Give a little petting and understanding that your cat is smart and obedient.
How? Are you ready to give medicine to your cat after reading this article? If you have difficulty doing this, please contact the nearest veterinarian and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Good luck!