How to Give a Cat a Pill Without Having it Spit Back Out in Your Face

Giving a cat a pill can be about as much fun as giving a cat a bath. Cats are not fond of having a nasty-tasting hard little ball shoved down their throats while they are being restrained. Each of my five cats is different in his or her willingness to swallow pills and I have developed strategies for each. I'll begin with the standard cat pilling method then suggest alternatives to try if the process is not working for you and your cat.

The standard process of pilling a cat involves placing the pill at the back of a cat's throat and giving him or her no option but to swallow. Perform this process on a floor where you have more control over the cat. Sit splay-legged on the floor and place the cat between your legs against your body. Wrap your left arm (if you are right-handed) around the cat and hold his or her jaws open. Placing pressure on the sides of the cat's mouth will encourage the cat to open the jaws. Tilt the cat's head upwards to expose the back of the throat. Holding the pill in your right hand, drop it as far back in the cat's mouth as possible. Close the cat's mouth and encircle it with your left thumb and forefinger so that the cat can't eject the pill. Stroke the cat's throat firmly to encourage the cat to swallow. If the cat refuses to swallow, apply very gentle pressure to the cat's nasal passage which encourages swallowing. When you are sure that the cat has swallowed, release him or her and follow the cat around for a few moments. Cats are very adept at keeping pills in their mouths until out of sight then spitting them out. If you have your cat on medication, it is important to be sure that they did swallow it. If you find the pill spit out, pick it up and pill the cat again. If the pill becomes "mucky," start with a fresh pill.

If your cat refuses to co-operate during this procedure, you can try some other methods. Grinding up the pill between two spoons and mixing the powder with cat food sometimes works but most cat medication is bitter and grinding the pill will make the medication smell and taste worse to the cat.