Top tips to help your cat take their medicine

21st November 2019

At some time in their lives, your cat might need to take medicine, so it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the best ways to tackle this tricky task. With a bit of practice, you should have no trouble giving your cat medicine at home.

Prior to giving your cat medicine

Your vet will tell you how much medicine to give your pet and how often, so be sure to pay close attention to this so that your cat gets the right treatment. Staying calm when you give your cat medicine will help to keep them calm. If you have any concerns about administering the medicine, be sure to ask your vet for advice. Having a friend or family member around to help you the first couple of times can make the process a bit easier and can help to keep you calm.

Administer medicine in your cat’s food

Mix the medicine in a small amount of food and serve it to your cat when they are hungry. Using just a small amount of food should ensure they eat it all. Leave your cat in peace whilst they are eating it. Many cats prefer privacy when they are eating so your absence could encourage them to eat it all. Once a short amount of time has passed you can return to the bowl to find out if they have eaten it all. You can then serve the rest of their food as normal.

If you have more than one pet, using this method carries the risk of other pets in the home eating their medicine-laced food. To prevent your other pets accessing it, give your cat a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder, which will only open for their microchip or RFID collar tag. The connected version of this product, the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, has the added benefit of sending notifications when your cat visits the bowl. So, whilst your call is eating their small amount of food with the medicine inside, you can wait in another room giving them privacy until you receive a notification that they have eaten it.

Administer medicine in a treat

If your cat is not convinced by the medicine in their food, try hiding it in one of their favourite treats, which they may be more likely to eat without fuss. Be aware of disrupting their normal feeding behaviour though, as giving them too many treats could cause weight problems.

Administer with a pill popper

If your cat needs to be given a solid pill that can’t be mixed into food, use a pill popper to administer it. A pill popper is a bit like a syringe, which administers the pill straight into your cat’s mouth; an easier option than trying to place the pill into your cat’s mouth by hand. Tilt your cat’s head towards the ceiling to encourage them to open their mouth, making it easier to place the pill at the back of their tongue. If you find it difficult to get them to cooperate, swaddle them in a towel to restrict their movement. If they spit the pill out, keep trying. You might need to try a few times before finding a method that works for you and your cat.