We get it! Not every cat is cooperative with administering necessary medications, and they can be remarkably ninja-like and adept at using their natural defences. So here are our top tips for low-stress tabletting of tricky cats.

1. Bribes

A spoonful of sugar sure does help the medicine go down, and we fully support using cat-friendly treats to assist in their tabletting experience!

Here are some options to try:

• Butter: many cats love the taste of butter, so coating your cat’s tablet or capsule in a little softened butter can help it to slide more easily down their throat, with a pleasant aftertaste
• Feline treats: some owners find it best to quickly administer their cat’s medicine and then immediately offer their cat some compensation in the form of their favourite snack
• Lick-treats: liquid treat pouches can be great for hiding small tablets in. If your cat is food-motivated enough, they may just lick up a tablet hidden near the surface of the treat

2. Restraint

If your cat is an unwilling participant for their medical experience, we’d recommend gentle restraint in the form of a calming blanket wrap. Here’s how. Don’t forget to reward them with a tasty treat after.

3. Correct technique

To pop pills down your cat’s throat, carefully hold them around their top jaw/cheekbones and lift their nose up to the ceiling. This will allow you to open their lower jaw with your middle finger, and then drop tablets right to the back of their throat using your index finger and thumb (or a finger-saving “Pill popper” device).

It’s a good idea to follow tablet administration with a trickle of water into the side of your cat’s closed mouth (using a syringe), to help them to swallow the medication.

4. Enlisting help

If you’re still struggling, please ask us our friendly team for further assistance.