by Jon Maxson

The showdown begins. On one side, the cat, with claws digging into the carpet. On the other, you, with pill in hand, ready to pounce. After the dust clears, the pill is nowhere to be seen and you’re sporting several new injuries. Sound familiar? If so, you need these tips on how to give a cat a pill (and survive the process!).

The process is much easier if you have someone helping you. One of you can hold the cat still and prevent scratching or running. The other person can gently push on either side of the cat’s mouth, which will cause it to open. Then toss the pill in the cat’s mouth, ensuring that it doesn’t fall out, and release her.

That is the process that my wife and I used when we had to give our cat, My Lenaptalf, a daily pill for a suspected urinary tract infection. We also used it to give her a sedative pill when we moved out of state last year.

If you don’t have someone who can help you give the cat a pill, try to pick her up or otherwise corner her in a spot where she can’t easily escape. If you can block her with a leg against a wall or piece of furniture and use one arm to encourage her to open her mouth, than you should be able to succeed without much harm.

If the pill is chewable, it would also be possible to avoid confrontation altogether and slip it into a piece of food or cat treat.

Good luck with your quest to give your cat a pill, and may you avoid future feline showdowns!

Jon is only slightly obsessed with his cat, My Lenaptalf. Visit My Lenaptalf’s site for more general cat news, articles, and resources.