Well-Defined Guide For Administering Treatment To Your Cat

By | August 30, 2016
Administering Treatment To Cat

Seeing your kitty sick is the worst thing for a cat owner. But the things become more difficult when you have to administer treatment to her. Believe us, it is one of the hardest things to do. There are certain cat owners who are worried about frightening or stressing out their beloved feline. They also fear from the sharp teeth of the kitty that can harm their fingers if they stick it in her mouth!!! But it is not impossible to administer a pill or any other kind of treatment to your feline. Let us now look at some of the easiest ways to administer the treatment in the most convenient manner:

If you have a young kitty, practice periodically by opening her mouth and placing a small piece of canned food on her tongue so that she gets acquainted with the idea of putting something in her mouth. If she co-operates, give her a treat. This way, when she gets ill in the near (although we do not wish that to happen!!!), she will readily accept the treatment.

Oral-Administration-To-Cat

When you are ready to administer oral treatment to your cat, get all the cat supplies together before bringing your feline. Take out the pill from the veil or check the correct measure of liquid treatment. Get your treats, towel, and any helper, and then bring the feline.

  • The easiest way to give your cat a pill or liquid is by placing her on a flat surface with her face facing away from you.
  • Pull her backside close to your body, so that she does not get the opportunity to back up.
  • Use one hand to grasp the head of the kitty.
  • Put the hand over the top of her hand, such that it seems that it is like a winter cap with ear flaps.
  • Keep your thumbs and fingers wrapped around the robust cheekbones which will assist you in gaining control over her.
  • Smoothly guide her chin into the air, which will cause her jaw muscles to relax. It will then make it much easier for you to open her mouth.
  • Use your middle finger to open her mouth.
  • Swiftly, pop up the pill as far back in the mouth of the feline as possible. You can slide it forward off your thumb towards the back of the throat.
  • Hold the head of the kitty till the pill gets swallowed. Check once or twice to ensure that she has swallowed the oral treatment. You can also rub her throat to ensure that the treatment is swallowed by her.
  • Once the oral treatment has been swallowed successfully by your kitty, reward her with a favorite food or toy of her choice.

If You Are Giving A Liquid Treatment:

giving-cat-liquid-medication
  • Place the tip of the syringe in the corner of your cat’s mouth. Then squirt the treatment in the space between the cheek and gums.
  • Hold the head of the kitty till she swallows the treatment and then rewards her with a yummy treat.

If You Are Giving A Pill Or A Capsule:

tablet-treatment-cat
  • Hold the pill between your thumb and first finger of the hand that is not holding the head of the cat.
  • Utilize your middle finger to open the mouth of the cat by slipping it in between her tiny tooth and then slide the pill down the tongue’s center to the back of the mouth.
  • Hold her head, till the treatment is swallowed successfully by her, and then give her a treat.

If You Have A Wiggling, Struggling, Or Attacking Cat:

cat in towel
  • Place a thick towel across the shoulder of the kitty, and wrap downward around her neck and front legs to protect yourself, and then keep her still.
  • You will probably need the help of a second person in case your kitty is quite wiggly. Ask the helper to hold the body of the cat while you concentrate on administering the pill.

Note: Never hide the treatment in the food of the kitty as due to the bitter taste of the treatment, your feline may start disliking the regular food.

The best solution is to find a food that has a different flavor than your kitty is used to and assimilate the treatment in the food. There are times when your feline would eat the food around the treatment, and leave the pill as it is. If this is the case, then you will have to administer the treatment orally or find another option.

Other Treatment Options For Felines

Treatment Options For Felines

Nowadays, pill pockets/treat wraps are used by cat owners to conceal the pill or capsule in the food. It is in a cup shape and hence, it is much easier to place the treatment inside and seal it. You can then offer it in the form of a treat to your kitty. But, initially start by practicing some empty pill pockets, so that your feline is less circumspect of this new treat.

There are also other treatment options available in the market like getting treatments with a pleasant flavor e.g. tuna or chicken. The loophole of these treatments is that they have shorter expiry dates and are more expensive than pills. But many cat owners find it convenient and easier to administer to their felines.

Then some treatments are available in the form of transdermal gel. It needs to be applied topically on the skin rather than orally. Typically, they are applied on the inside of the tip of the ear. Note: Not all transdermal gel treatments are well-absorbed by the kitty’s skin. Hence, it is very important to test how your kitty would respond to this form of treatment. Always use gloves or finger cots, while administering this treatment on your kitty, as it can be absorbed by the human skin along with cat skin.

Certain treatments are available in injectable form. They can be given through an IV or vein and may sting the kitty badly. These treatments need to be administered in the presence of a professional like a veterinarian, or veterinary technician and not at home. The best thing would be to ask your veterinarian to aid you in selecting the best treatment that works for your kitty as he/she would be able to tell you what is best for her health.