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Administering Medication

It is important to give all medications exactly as instructed by your veterinarian. Some medications must be given with food. Other medications need to be given at certain times during the day. Make sure your cat is given the whole course of the medicine. Don't stop the tablets just because the cat appears to be getting better.

Giving Pills Or Tablets

Cradle the cat under one arm or get someone to help you hold the cat. If your cat is likely to scratch, wrap it in a towel first. Hold the cats head firmly between your thumb and index finger. Gently tilt the head back. Ease the mouth open by pressing at the corners with your thumb and index finger and pulling the lower jaw down with your middle finger. Push the pill as far back on the tongue as possible. Close the cats mouth and massage or rub its throat until it swallows. When the cat licks its nose, the pill or tablet has been swallowed.

Don't crush pills into a powder. Powdered pills have an unpleasant taste. Many pills also have a protective coating on them to delay release in the intestines.

Liquid Medications

Wrap the cat in a towel or get someone to help you hold the cat. Measure the required amount of medication into a plastic syringe or plastic eyedropper. Tilt the cats head up, insert the tip of the dropper into the space between the canines and the back teeth. Slowly squirt the liquid into the cats mouth. Give the medication a few drops at a time and allow the cat to swallow after each dose to avoid choking.

Eye Medication

Eye Ointment
Hold the cats head with one hand and gently pull down on the lower eyelid to expose the inner surface. Rest your other hand, holding the tube of medication, against the cats face, below the eye. If the cat moves suddenly your hand will move with the cat, avoiding further injury to the eye. Apply the ointment to the inside of the lower eyelid. Direct application of the ointment to the eyeball is irritating and may cause the cat to move suddenly. Rub the eyelids together gently to spread the medication across the eye.

Eye Drops
Eye drops are applied directly to the eyeball. Hold the cats head with one hand. Rest your other hand holding the dropper against the side of the cats face. Tilt the cats nose upward, then drop the medication into the inner corner of the cats eye. Rub the eyelids together gently to spread the medication across the eye.

Ear Medication

Ear drops should be applied to clean ear canals only. Some ear medications come in bottles with long nozzles, others come with medicine droppers. Hold the cat firmly so the tip of the applicator doesn't accidentally damage the ear canal. If your cat is likely to struggle, have someone hold him/her for you. Fold the ear flap over the top of the head (so it looks like its inside out). Insert the end of the nozzle or medicine dropper into the ear canal only as far as you can see. Squeeze in a small amount of ointment or 3 to 4 drops of liquid. Massage the cartilage at the base of the ear for 20 seconds to distribute the medication (it will make a squelchy sound).

References

Carlson DG & Giffin JM, Cat Owners Home Veterinary Handbook, New York: Howell Book House, 1995

Fogle B, Natural Cat Care, London: Dorling Kindersley, 1999

Page S, The Complete Cat Owners Manual, Australia: Readers Digest, 1997

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