Cat and cat owners sometimes have to puzzle over how to give them medicine and at the same time protect the animal from serious stress, and themselves from a lot of bites and scratches. But this is quite possible if you approach the process correctly.
To get started, ask the prescribing veterinarian how to administer the medication to the animal. Is it worth trying to mix it with food, is it possible to grind it into powder (if it is a tablet), in the case of liquid preparations, is it possible to reduce the concentration by adding water or another liquid. Some medicines should never be mixed with foods containing fat, such as sour cream, milk, meat. For anthelmintics, carefully read the instructions.
If you need to give your cat a whole tablet, but you can't mix it with food, do so. Take the cat in your arms, sit on your knees so that its right side would be pressed against your body. Place your left hand on the cat's head so that your index and thumb grab the upper jaw. Gently wedge your fingers into the animal's mouth on both sides. The most convenient way to do this is right behind the canines.
The cat triggers a reflex - it opens its mouth and begins to back away. It is necessary to hold it and place the tablet on the root of the tongue with your free right hand. Cover the cat's mouth with your hand, holding the jaw, stroke her throat so that she swallows.
The cat must sit or stand during the procedure. To prevent her from choking, do not throw her head back, do not lay her on her side. If possible, call someone from the household for help - one person will hold the pet, the other will put a pill on the root of the tongue. This makes the cat less likely to spit out the medication.
The capsules can stick to the palate and dissolve from saliva. To prevent this from happening, drop vegetable oil on a saucer and roll the capsule a little in it. The gelatinous membrane will not suffer from this, but the oil will facilitate penetration into the esophagus.
If the medication for the cat is in powder form, care must be taken to ensure that it does not adhere to the larynx and oral mucosa. To do this, you can do the following: put a sheet of foil on a saucer, make a depression in the center and pour the powder into it. Mix the powder with water until a gruel is formed. Take a teaspoon by the handle and collect this gruel from the foil with the flat end. Hold the cat in the same way as for serving the pill - open her mouth and insert a spoonful of gruel into it.
Liquid medicine is most conveniently delivered with a syringe without a needle. The tip is inserted by the cheek of the cat, after which, with a gentle, even pressure on the plunger, the contents of the syringe move into the oral cavity. At the same time, carefully monitor that the medicine does not enter the respiratory tract.
