How to pill your cat
1. Firmly grasp your cat's head. If you are right–handed use your left hand; if you are left–handed, use your right hand. Place palm on cat's head and put your thumb and forefinger on the side ridges of its face just behind its jaw. The cat's cheek–bones provide a convenient handle by which to hold the head firmly without causing the cat any discomfort.
Avoid holding the lower jaw and make sure you don't squeeze the throat. The tips of your thumb and index finger should be positioned at opposite corners of the mouth on the cat's upper gum line.
2. Once your cat's head is held in place, gently tilt the head back so that the eyes are facing upward and the nose is pointing toward the ceiling. The mouth should naturally start to open. However, if the cat does not open its mouth when you tilt back the head, you can force the mouth open by squeezing your thumb and finger together and applying gentle pressure at the corners of the mouth.
3. Place the pill between the thumb and forefingers of your other hand. Use your ring finger or middle finger to open your cat's mouth further by applying pressure on the front of the lower jaw (bottom front teeth). Cats have no strength in the lower jaw in this position and cannot bite. This pressure, together with tilting the cat's head, will cause the mouth to open.
4. After the mouth is fully open, place the pill as far back in the mouth as possible. The "target" is the v–shaped area at the back of the throat where the tongue meets the roof of the mouth. Continue to keep the cat's head fully back. Avoid placing your hand too far into your cat's mouth or it might gag. If this happens your cat may spit the pill back out.
5. Once the pill is positioned in the back of the mouth, it is unlikely that the cat will spit it out. If the pill gets under the tongue or to the side of the mouth, the animal may spit it back out. The pill enters the stomach much more rapidly if a small amount of water (1/4 teaspoon) is given immediately after giving the pill. This can be done via a medicine dropper, pipette, or syringe.
6. Close your cat's mouth and hold it closed. Gently and briefly rub your cat's nose, or blow on it. This should stimulate your cat to lick its nose, causing it to swallow. You can also try to stimulate swallowing by rubbing your cat's throat. If none of that works, tilt your cat's head back a little and try again.
7. Let go and watch the cat for a few moments to make sure it doesn't spit out the pill. If it does spit out the pill, throw it away and start again. Also watch for lip licking motions which usually indicate that the pill has been swallowed. Some cats are good at deception so it is a good idea to open the mouth after a moment to see if the pill has been swallowed.
8. Don't let your cat make a hasty exit once it has had its pill. If you allow your cat to just "take–off" you are encouraging it to associate "flight" with the pill–taking experience. Pet and cuddle it for a few minutes. Try to get your cat to purr.
Always remember to praise your cat and maybe give it a treat or play with a favourite toy. Make the pill–taking just a small part of an otherwise positive experience. By pampering the cat, you'll help it be more prepared and co–operative the next time it is given a pill.
