Best way to get a cat to swallow a pill?

akalutts

We leave in 2 hours, which means we give Monkey a sedative in 1 hour. It's been a LOOOONG time since I've had to give an animal a pill - with dogs, we either stuck it in some cheese and they swallowed it unknowingly or pried their jaws open and shoved it down their throat (the smaller dogs).

Are there any other ways to do this because I have a strong feeling he's not going to respond to either of these methods. In fact, I suspect if I try the latter he'll just retaliate by throwing it up.

 

Discordia1030

All I can think of is tuna fish, but that probably isnt too helpful. Could you smash it and mix it into some cat food?

caffinated_tulip

I've only ever had to give a pill to my fat cat, and I put it in butter (because she's a fatass) she horked it right down.

But when I worked at the vet clinic we frequently had to give them pills, pop the pill in their mouth, hold the mouth closed and and blow on the nose or rub down the throat to make them swallow. 

bellafirenze

Cheese is what always works for us.

We have to give her several decoy pieces first to get over that suspicious chewing phase, until she's all "holy shiit this is good" and starts downing them with reckless abandon like a kitty hoover. Then we sneak in the money shot. 

pmarie33

Is it a capsule or tablet?

If it's a capsule you can sprinkle it on something yummy.  A tablet you can crush up and sprinkle on something yummy. 

I usually mix it in well with wet catfood so she doesn't realize.  And she only gets wet catfood for medicine.  She thinks it's a treat.

akalutts

pmarie33:

Is it a capsule or tablet?

If it's a capsule you can sprinkle it on something yummy.  A tablet you can crush up and sprinkle on something yummy. 

I usually mix it in well with wet catfood so she doesn't realize.  And she only gets wet catfood for medicine.  She thinks it's a treat.

Tablet - so I guess we could crush it, but I'm concerned he will still taste it after one bite and then not eat it or not eat it all. Same with the cheese - I bet he will chew it, and he's a light eater so he will only take a piece or two before walking away.

I'm thinking maybe of putting it in cream cheese. I think it's soft enough he would just swallow it and hopefully before noticing the pill. He's being such a loving snugglebutt right now and I know he's going to give me the evil eye when we're done. It makes me sad

ASmallWonder

bellafirenze:

Cheese is what always works for us.

We have to give her several decoy pieces first to get over that suspicious chewing phase, until she's all "holy shiit this is good" and starts downing them with reckless abandon like a kitty hoover. Then we sneak in the money shot. 

This is 100% what we do.  If that fails I crush it up and put it into the teeniest amount of wet food I can, hoping he'll get the entire dose in one excited bite.  Or I offer you this, which is unhelpful but humorous.  Unless you're the one with the cat who needs the pill

https://www.nanceestar.com/CatPill.html 

DottyBlue

These: 

 

Your local petstore/PetSmart/Petco should have them.  Life savers.

DrBeepersWife

caffinated_tulip:

I've only ever had to give a pill to my fat cat, and I put it in butter (because she's a fatass) she horked it right down.

But when I worked at the vet clinic we frequently had to give them pills, pop the pill in their mouth, hold the mouth closed and and blow on the nose or rub down the throat to make them swallow. 

This.

Also, my cat turned into satan on seditives.  Never again.