You're at the vets office when you find out that Fluffy needs pill medications in the upcoming days. The technician goes over how to give them, and she makes it look super easy because she does it twenty times a day. You pay for your visit and head home. It's bedtime Friday night and Fluffy needs that pill. You toss it with some food but she turns her nose up. The vets office is closed, so now what do you do?
This happens all of time, you're not alone! Cats are wonderfully sensitive and nimble creatures when it comes to medication administering. You don't have to work at a vets office though to succeed!
Begin by offering wet food, just a little (and I mean a teaspoon) to see how it goes. If kitty thinks there is a limited supply of her newly offered wet food, she's likely to be more enthusiastic about the next offered surprise bit! That next surprise should have her pill in it, act like it's no big deal and see where that goes! Your next level up is to try heating the food by 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Heated food entices cats as their sense of smell is much stronger than ours. You're next available choice is a Pill Pocket treat. Pill pockets come in a variety of flavors that entice kitty and mold to the shape of the pill. You can even make the bag go further by quartering your treats and making your mold just a little thinner.
Your very last option is to pill manually. Sometimes it helps to wrap cats inside a large blanket or towel for manual administration. Take the pill (best coated with a pill pocket or chicken) in one hand and brace with the other. Sitting behind kitty and coming over the top of him/her head, use the bracing hand to give her some loving pets. ALL IN ONE MOTION: using your bracing hand to curl kitty's top lips around the teeth of the upper jaw (this prevents a bite!) and with your other hand insert the pill to the far back of the mouth near the throat. **note that a plastic piller can be purchased to make this easier. GENTLY close the mouth and softly hold it shut. Blow on the nose until they lick twice.
It is always helpful to check out some YouTube videos on feline pill administration before you get started. This helps build a visual and your confidence. Cats very much feed off of your anxiety level and anything to help lower that is a win!
We get plenty of last moment requests from clients who suddenly have a sick pet before their vacation, you're not alone! Our sitters at Preferred Pet Sitter are all professionally trained to help with medication administration when you're in a pinch. We've also had special requests to make a housecall just for it! Check out our services page which includes medication administration at https://www.mypreferredpetsitter.com/services
Wishing you the best of luck with any sick pet in your care!