Even if your cat is perfectly healthy, you'll need to periodically administer medication to prevent helminthiasis. This procedure often turns into a real battle: the owner is nervous, and the cat is frightened and doesn't understand what's being done to her. So, what's the correct way to administer a pill to a cat?
With sour cream
The first thing you should do is ask your veterinarian whether the medication you've chosen can be mixed with food or dissolved in liquid. If so, the process becomes much easier. The easiest way is to mix the tablet, crushed into powder, with sour cream. Don't expect your cat to pounce on the treat; the suspicious taste and smell will likely alert her. Therefore, gently restrain your cat and apply small amounts of the medicated sour cream to her nose—she'll be tempted to lick it off. Feed the entire mixture in this manner.
With liquid
If you decide to dissolve the tablet in water, you will still have to give the medicine by force. The cat can be secured with a thick towel or soft blanket, wrapped so that only the head remains outside. After this, the tip of the syringe with the removed needle should be positioned at the cheek fold of the lip and, keeping the cat's head raised, slowly inject the drug.
With a treat
A small pill can be hidden in a piece of ground meat, or a larger one mixed with it. In this case, you'll likely have to force the medication (although it's possible the cat will eat the treat voluntarily), but the pleasant taste of the food will reduce your pet's stress and resistance. Restrain the "patient" in the same manner as described above. Press on the corners of the jaws to open the cat's mouth and place the meatball on the root of the tongue. Then close your pet's jaws and make several stroking movements down the throat - this will trigger the swallowing reflex.
In its entirety
If it is decided to give the tablet whole, the method is the same as in the previous option. The tablet should be placed on the root of the cat's tongue and its jaws should be squeezed, preventing it from spitting out the medicine. You can then, without opening her mouth, pour in a little liquid to make swallowing easier.
Using a peeler
A pill lance is a device that places a pill in an animal's mouth, preventing a potential bite. Simply put, it's a syringe with a rubber cuff instead of a needle, into which the pill is placed. The cat's mouth is opened and a piller is inserted inside to throw the tablet as far as possible.
Remember that your pet can't understand the benefits of such a procedure. Therefore, they will resist as much as possible, and that's normal. Don't get angry or nervous—then everything will go smoothly: your cat will be healthy, and your hands will remain intact.
