There is a reason why it is not always effective to give a cat a pill: cats can see through anything: a little odor of something wrong in their favorite food and a slight shift in the posture of a person.
It is not about beating a cat in one instance. The idea is to select a method that is appropriate to the medicine and the temperament of the cat then ensure that the entire process is short, predictable and as stress-free as possible.
1. Establish whether the pill can be broken or feeble
It is best to be sure what the medicine permits before picking up a wet food. There are tablets that can be cut or broken and there are tablets that cannot be cut or broken or they cannot serve their purposes. A telephone call to the prescribing veterinary office will avert the common errors, such as timing-released pill or change the way the drug was taken. It also makes it clear as to whether the dose is to be administered with food or on empty stomach as there are certain pet drugs whose effectiveness is enhanced when they are administered on an empty stomach.
2. Take a small food sample of extra-tasty wet food
With the cats that consistently consume their meal, it is easy to place the pill (or an authorized dose of pills crushed) into a tiny portion of wet food. The point is, do not give too much at once just enough to be sure that you will swallow the whole lot of medicine in a single sitting then give the rest of the meal at a later time. This will lower the chances of an underdose, in case the cat will wander away in the middle of the meal and will prevent the risk of medication being taken by another pet.
3. Use the three-meatball habit to reduce the suspicion
Other cats are timid enough that they start to be suspicious as soon as something new is introduced to a bowl. The three-meatball trick is a useful workaround: It is essential to give a plain bite of moist food, then a bite that conceals the pill, and then another plain bite. This order may minimize hesitation since the cat had already switched to the eating mode when it sees the bite with medicine in it.
4. Place the pill into a special individual soft treat
Medication disguised in soft treats can be helpful in instances where a cat wants snacks hand fed instead of in a bowl. The method is important: Slip the pill, then close the hole with your pinch so that the cat will think the treatment is mostly, and not pill. There are cats who continue to chew around the medication and spit them out hence it is helpful to observe and ensure that the pill was ingested.
5. Ready the room to success at a snort
Mutual understanding is enhanced by a relaxing atmosphere. Arousal reduction before medication even begins can be achieved by lowering noise, switching off loud television or music and keeping the cat out of barking dogs. Brian Collins, a senior lecturer at the Cornell Small Animal Community Practice, also suggests that it is best to begin with something that the cat already enjoys such as treats, gentle brushing or another thing the cat finds comfortable so that the routine does not have to seem like a confrontation.
6. Popping a pill, as opposed to touching teeth with fingers
Direct pilling is required when a cat identifies medication in food or not wanting to take any form of treatment at all. A pill popper (small plastic apparatus pushing the tablet to the back of the tongue further) can then reduce the number of hands-to-mouth contacts in such instances. It will be seen that many clinics will exhibit proper placement and time to ensure that the movement remains smooth rather than becoming a long battle.
7. Bring in the second one to restrain steadily with gentleness
There are cats that can swallow pills; others that jump up. When it is a two person job, Collins observes that there may be occasions when it is the other person who holds the cat and the other person who puts in the pill. By using two people it is also much easier to make the experience short, which in many cases is what will not allow resistance in the future.
8. Towel burrito Use a towel burrito to prevent scratching when necessary
In wrapping up the cat in a towel, leaving the head open can tame the claws and minimize the chances of harm to the cat, who swipes or scrambles. The method is most effective in cases where everything has been prepared ahead of time, like a pill is ready, some water or a favorite post-secondary sweet is ready, so the restraint is only as long as needed.
9. Request substitutions in case of impractical pills
Pills do not go down easily with all cats, despite excellent handwork. In that case, a veterinarian may address such options as long-lasting injections given within the clinic, liquids, topicals, or transdermal (medication applied to the inside of the ear flap). The alternative is the most dependable one that the cat will be able to take in the appropriate dose. The best pilling course of action is the one that coincides with the medication regimen and the character of the cat.
As queries arise at home such as when it is time for a dose, when to skip a dose or when a dose can be changed, maintaining communication with the veterinary team helps in keeping the treatment on track and taking off the pressure to figure it out at home.
