How to Give a Cat a Pill : 3 Vet-Approved Methods

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0:00 How to Get a Cat to Take a Pill
0:30 Preparing to Pill
1:10 Method 1: Hiding in Food
4:34 Method 2: Giving the Pill By Hand
7:39 Method 3: Using a Pill Popper
8:35 What to Do After Pilling Your Cat
9:59 Additional Tips

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[cataliciouz]

PLEASE BE CAREFUL with the pill poppers/shooters. Some have silicone tips that pop off with the medication and your pet can swallow it. I just had it happen to my cat recently and luckily er was able to induce vomiting. Otherwise it can cause a blockage which will be $$$$ for surgery etc. Make sure the tip is attached if u get one!!! 😻💜

[lfate]

For once a pilling video that shows a realist portrayal of giving a cat a pill. All I ever manage to do is stress the cat and the pill ends up on the floor anyway.

[susanlofurno]

So glad that you showed pilling an “actual” typical cat. All the other videos have shown these calm, cooperative cats…and your kitty responds like all the cats I have ever tried to pill. I have been brought to tears of stress from trying to pill my elderly kitty when she clenches her teeth.

[allthumbs]

Oh boy did this look familiar!!!! 😂 I have NOT ONE reliable tip to contribute! I'd rather do my own taxes 😖 than pill my cat.

[bababa]

I must thank you for being honest to show how challenging it is to pill a REAL cat. I suspect the cats shown in other videos probably had been given sedative to make them calm and cooperative.

[saraferebee]

Thank you for actually showing a challenging cat in a real life situation. So many videos try to show how easy it is and it simply isn’t easy for most people, and is very stressful and upsetting to loving cat parents. Thank you for showing the reality of this stressful task!

[whodundis]

I died laughing watching the second method with the cat in the towel because 5 minutes ago I was in the same exact situation.

[TheInnerParty]

I volunteer with the local Humane Society, and I'm glad this video also showed the failures, because with some cats it's a lot harder than it seems.
For some cats the pill popper is essential 🙀

[avsrule]

One of the best peices of advice for cat owners from personal experience is get your cat used to having it's face touched (and also paws for nail tripping!) so when inevitably the day comes that you need to pill your cat it's not stressful for either yourself or your cat. One of the reasons it's so hard is because people neglect to do things like check their cats teeth/gums regularly, or likewise brush their whiskers or cheeks. When the cat is used to you opening it's mouth, or pulling it's lips back slightly to have a check at the teeth/gums (also important!) it won't even see the pill coming, and there will be no need to wrap it in a towel.

It's so simple to take a peak inside their mouth once or twice a week during a grooming session. Hard at first, but gets really easy quick. And do the same with the paws. Touch their paws, rub the little beans, and when it comes time to trim the nails it's super easy!

[milavasques]

Almost 3 months administering a daily pill to my *very* intelligent cat that learns all the tricks. It’s been a rollercoaster to say the least. Crushed in food is not recommended for the case, but it doesn’t work anyway with her as she senses it and refuses ANY food for hours afterwards.
Most days she takes it hidden in a “easy pill” product type together with an almost unhealthy amount of treats to convince her to eat it. And even then, the pill needs to be hidden in such a way to ensure that she will not chew it, otherwise I can just mark this day as lost and move on to the alternative/last case option, which is the single person burrito cat wrangler and pill administrator. It goes e x a c t l y like in the video. I don’t know who of us hate those days the most

[qataripekarsky]

Thank you for posting both the advice and very realistic demonstrations illustrating more than just the "happy path".

[PrincessePeiPei]

Oh, it was the same for me pilling the cat the first time - so frustrating, but also very proud when you finally get the cat to eat it!! 😄 6 foster cats later, I have a million ways to give a pill to a car. My fav trick, give the pill in baby food. Thanks, great video!!

[kjorsss]

I feel much better watching the real-life example. Your cat reacted exactly like one of my cats does. So many times, the pill went in the mouth then pops right back out. I now dissolve the pill (or split the capsule and dissolve the powder inside) in 5 ml of water then use a small syringe to squirt it into her mouth. For my cat who doesn't like pills, that method works best.

[helenatkinson]

I can't say how much I appreciate this video I had a cat who died last year and I struggle with the fact that I might have made his last days easier or even helped make him better if I could have gotten pills into him but I was not able to. I also really appreciate seeing a real person struggling with giving a pill. I appreciate seeing the burrito method and the pill Pusher method and the different food suggestions. I have another cat I have been putting off giving pills for his pancreatitis just out of fear of not being able to successfully give them to him. I have had to put ointment in his ear and that has been a fight so I haven't been able to imagine how giving a pill would be. I just automatically assumed that the food possibility would be a failure so haven't even tried it. This is giving me the courage to try something else before I totally give up.

[whiteknightcat]

I SO felt your frustration, Mallory. I was laughing WITH you, not at you, as Forest kept defeating your efforts. We used to have a large red tabby, friendly as heck, soft and plush, but there was no way he was going to be restrained. Leo was powerful and would wrestle. I'd have to let him go because I would have hurt him had I used the necessary force to restrain him. I eventually used different food techniques or the pill popper the vet sold us. It's long and narrow with a split rubber tip to hold the pill. And then there was my sweet little princess who just sat quietly as I tipped her head back and popped the pill in her mouth with barely any restraint at all.

[WolfieRAWKs]

Hands down the most accurate portrayal of trying to give a cat pills. The moment you squished a temptations treat on top of the fortiflora-dusted cheese ball really resonated with my soul.

As a petsitter and multicat parent, I've had to try a variety of different methods. If I can crush it, I will. Mixing it with a churu treat/squeeze tube treat has worked exceptionally well for me. I also like the "handful of assorted treats" method, which involves using at least two pill pockets (one containing meds, the other rolled as though it does) and a few of whatever other treat I have on hand. Give the assorted treats to your cat in a little pile with the hope that they get really into eating the treats and don't notice you slipped in something different.

[dennettmk]

Nice to see an instructional video that depicts what really happens when trying to give a cat medication. Most of these videos make it look so easy.
This one is the real, and ever so frustrating, deal!

[SusannaBrennan-qz]

Pro tip: Do not touch the treat, butter, cheese or pill pocket with the same fingers that touched the pill. Cats have an extremely strong sense of smell. Use your non-dominant hand to hold the pill, and your dominant hand to squish the treat/ pill pocket around it. If using Churu treats or wet food, make a small puddle first, drop the pill, and then cover the pill with another small dollop of the food or treat. Never let your “stinky” fingers that have touched the pill come in contact with the treat you are using to disguise the pill. Unless your kitty is a complete glutton, she will suss you out!

[marystille]

You make me feel much better about my struggles! It’s not just me!

[saphounetheteajunkie]

Finally new advice, giving me new hope… my cat is an expert at dissection when I try to hide pills in food.