[lkdubb]

My cat (18 month old female) really fights me when it's time to administer a pill.....she has a minor ailment which requires half a tablet once a day for 10 days.....we are on day 3 now, and it's been a struggle....she holds the pill in her mouth til it starts to melt - then she starts gagging and foaming at the mouth.....now whenever I approach her, she runs....she's gonna hate me by day 10.
What is the secret to getting a cat to accept and swallow a pill?
HELP !!!!!!

 

[PrincessClaire]

They advise I was given from our vet was once the pill is in the cats mouth gentle rub their throat forcing them to swallow.

 

[marijun]

one of my cats is absolutely HORRIBLE about taking pills. if i don't do it right, he'll pretend he swallowed it, then wander off and spit it on the floor. and he fights me the whole time.

this is what i have to do...

i wrap him up in a towel tight enough that he can't kick my hand away. i sit down and hold him in my lap like a baby and use my left hand to support him and to hold his front paws. then, with the pill in my right hand, i use a finger or two to pry his mouth open. then i have to really push the pill to the back of his mouth so he swallows it. then i rub his throat a little bit to make sure it goes down. he hates me for a while afterwards, and i can't ever seem to do it right on the first try...but nothing else works!

 

[Zalensia]

If she is running away from you now when you go near her, go up to her and smooth her down, or pick her up and give her a cuddle- then hopefully she wont think everytime you go to get her its the evil tablet time!
What everyone else has said about putting it as far down as you can, hold the mouth closed and massage the neck works well. In most pet supply stores you can usually find special things (sorry for the lack of technical term!LOL) Thankfully i was very lucky with vienna, i could put the tablet at the back of her mouth and she would swallow it.

 

[lkdubb]

Thanks for the suggestions.....it seemed to go better today - Anna swallowed the nasty pill the first try......maybe she is getting used to it.....I cuddle with her and love her up before the pill and love her up some more after the pill, telling her what a good girl she is , but she still gives me the old evil eye for a couple hours after the dirty deed.....3 days down and 7 days to go......wish me luck.

 

[PrincessClaire]

good luck )))

 

[Wayne]

You might try hiding the pill in a bit of favorite food of hers, and see how she takes it.

 

[Majicou]

Cream cheese is good for hiding pills in, because few cats can resist it, and it's sticky so they can't spit the pill out.

 

[shlanon]

I recently had to give Justin two pills and it was NOT fun. I wrapped him in a towel and used a pill pusher thing and it still took a lot of trys. I just can't seem to get his mouth to stay open for more than a split second and that isn't long enough to get the pill in. And when we DID get it in, he would spit it out before we could hold his mouth closed! But anyway he finally got them! Afterwards I gave him a little melted ice cream as a treat. He loves that stuff!

 

[Littlebigcatdaddy]

It's pretty impossible to describe here without the pictures and all, but Anitra Frazier's technique, outlined in her book The New Natural Cat really has worked for me. I worked many years in animal shelters, and the cats there are already so spooked and fractious that sometimes pilling was impossible :x Using Anitra's approach, which also speaks to us, meaning telling us to calm down, be deliberate, not make such a big deal out of it, etc., I found success at last. check it out!
Best,
Jackson