Teaching a cat to accept medications is like any skill – you need patience, practice, and good rewards. Ideally, you would introduce this skill before you need it, but these strategies can work even if you need to give a pill today.
Questions to Ask
Medications can come in many forms and flavors. Based on your individual cat’s needs and preferences, some may be easier for your cat to take than others.
When prescribed a new medication, ask your vet:
- Is this medication generally considered “palatable” (good tasting) or is it bitter/unpleasant?
- This will help you determine how careful to be to avoid your cat tasting it.
- Should you crush the tablets or open capsules?
- It may seem easier to give a powder that can’t be picked out of food, but if it tastes bad or isn’t safe to give the medication this way, you’ll want to avoid this strategy.
- Can this medication be given with a little food?
- Is the exact timing of the medication important or can you adjust based on what is easiest for your cat?
- Is it critical to start giving the medication right away or can you delay for a couple days if you need to troubleshoot the best strategy?
The goal of these questions is to determine the easiest starting place and the most likely path to success. If possible, you want to avoid your cat experiencing a bad flavor or either of you feeling stressed because you’re trying to force the medication into them.
If you are already struggling to give a medication, ask:
- Is there a different form of this medication?
- Tablet vs capsule vs liquid, for example.
- Can this medication be compounded with a flavor?
- Vanilla is a surprisingly good option.
- Is there a different medication that might address the concern but taste/smell/look different?
- While this might not always be the case, it’s better to ask than to continue struggling.
Using Food
Usually the easiest way to give medications is in a small amount of special treat. You’ll still need to figure out what type of treat works best.
Identify Options
Choose a special food, not your cat’s regular diet. Make sure they are eager to eat the food when it is offered, without medication in it.
Try:
- Churu treats or other lickable treats
- Wet cat food
- Meat-flavored baby food (no onion or garlic)
- Vanilla yogurt
- Whipped cream
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Vegan mini marshmallows
- Pill pockets
- Bread
Practice Eating
You need your cat to eat the food in one bite, not licking or chewing it. Experiment with giving the food in different ways to see how your cat eats it.
- Does your cat eat more readily from your hand, a dish, or the floor?
- Placing the food on a rough-surfaced mat/rug can help it get licked up in one bite.
- Use small amounts.
- It’s not always necessary to completely cover a pill (especially capsules) and less food is easier to eat in one bite.
- Give several pieces in rapid succession.
- Get your cat familiar with eating several small pieces of food in a row, without pausing to think much about them.
- If you are preparing to give liquid medications, fill an oral syringe with liquid/soft food.
- Start with squirting it on a dish or your finger, gradually let your cat discover they can go right to the source.
Introducing the “Pill”
Once you have found a food that your cat is eating quickly and easily, you can slip in a “pill”.
Practice with small pieces of hard treat or kibble hidden in the food. This way, if your cat is suspicious of the extra bit at first, they’ll discover it’s just more treat. You’ll also be able to confirm they will eat everything, without wasting medication.
Using as little food around the “pill” as possible, give several pieces in quick succession:
- Treat (no pill)
- Treat + pill
- Treat
While the first two should be easily swallowed in one bite, the final treat can be something “lickable” to encourage swallowing.
The Real Stuff
Once you have your system in place, it’s as easy as swapping in the real pill. In theory, at least!
If the smell or taste of the pill causes your cat to reject the food that they have previously been eagerly eating, you can put the pill in an empty gel capsule to further hide it. This method even lets you give multiple medications in one. Check with your vet first to ensure the capsule won’t change how the medication is absorbed and that different medications can be given at the same time.
For liquid medications, make layers of food, medications, and more food in an oral syringe. Since you’ve already taught your cat to eat from one, this makes medication delivery fairly easy. If the flavor is a problem, ask about getting it compounded with a different flavor (again, vanilla can be a good choice, if available).
Other Strategies
Other methods of giving medications generally need more time to teach. These include using a “pill popper” and “pilling” your cat (putting the pill straight into their mouth). Working on these skills ahead of needing them can be helpful for times when they need to take a medication without food or if they are feeling sick to the point of not wanting to eat.
In both cases, it’s important to go slow and teach the steps at your cat’s pace. You can find some great tutorial videos on Fundamental Feline’s website or reach out for a specific training plan for your cat.
Giving your cat medications can be stress-free with a little planning and preparation. Start now to be ready for the future or use these strategies to help your cat immediately.
If your cat has a behavior problem that you need help solving, consider scheduling a private behavior consultation.