If you ever attempted to give medicine to your cat you know it can be a difficult and challenging. Just getting them to sit still can be an adventure. Following these simple tips will take the anxiety out of administering medication for you and your cat.
Things You'll Need
- Medications
- Pill gun
- Syringe
- Cotton swabs
- Towel
Instructions
Pills
Hold its head. Hold your cat's head by the cheekbones and offer verbal reassurance. Gently bend the head back until the mouth automatically opens slightly.
Open its mouth. Keep your cat's mouth open by pushing the lips on each side between the teeth with your thumb and index finger.
Drop the pills onto the groove at the back of the tongue. Using the index finger of your other hand give a quick poke, pushing the pill over the back of the tongue. Close his mouth and gently hold it shut until he has swallowed. Lightly rubbing your cat's throat may encourage him to swallow the pill.
Use a pill gun or syringe designed to hold the pill until it is released at the back of your cat's tongue when the plunger is pushed. This way your fingers never have to enter your cat's mouth. Look for these plastic devices in pet supply stores or catalogs, on the Internet or in pet magazines.
Liquids
Measure the proper dosage and fill a syringe without the needle.
Hold its head, using the same grip on your cat's head as you did for administering pills.
Lift your cat's muzzle with a firm hold on the top of its head and lift up the lip on one side. Ease the tip of the syringe into the pouch between your cat's teeth and cheek. Administer the liquid slowly. If the medication is squirted all at once your cat may gag. Allow your cat to swallow after every two to three drops to avoid choking.
Ear Drops
Relax your cat. Place a towel across your lap and lay your cat down. Relax him with verbal reassurance and massaging.
Clean the ears, gently remove any dirt and wax.
Administer the drops. Hold the ear flap and insert a cotton swab no more than the depth of the tip. With a firm hand on the flap, allow the drops to drip into the ear canal. Gently massage the base of the ear. Once the drops have run deep enough into your cat's ear, release the flap. Wipe away any excess ointment.
Eye Drops
Hold your cat's head like you were going to give him a pill but don't bend it back.
Add drops. Approach from above and allow a drop to fall onto the surface of the eye. Or you might want to pull the lower eyelid and put a little ointment between the lower eyelid and the eye. Try to have drops hit squarely in the center. Close the lid for several seconds to distribute the medication evenly.
Avoid contact. Do not let the bottle or tube touch the surface of the cat's eye. Avoid contaminating either one.