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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Giving cat a tablet or liquid from syringe

62 replies

purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 14:14

Please can anyone give me stories of how they give their cat a tablet?
Or even liquid through syringe straight into their mouth (when they don't open their mouth)
As many ideas as possible are welcome

OP posts:
Original poster
purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 19:29

Do you think it's easier to give tablet or to give liquid via squirting in mouth?

OP posts:
ohsheglows · 01/01/2022 19:32

You need 'easy pill'. My cat needed her wormer and some steroid tablets, vet tried to shoot it down her throat with a syringe but she vommed it back up!

I then tried at home with easy pill putty and she gobbled it up. Honestly it made it so much easier! And it's super cheap too!

Cookerhood · 01/01/2022 19:38

Either a tablet giver mentioned above - open their jaws & pop it in, or the putty stuff mentioned above. We are lucky that our cat knows when it's tablet time (every day) & asks for it as he knows he gets treats afterwards.

Mykittensaremyfriends · 01/01/2022 19:43

Kneel down with your cat between your legs, one hand to gently open mouth whilst drop tablet to back of mouth/squirt liquid into side of mouth and then gently hold mouth closed/stroke throat until swallow. Difficult to describe but hopefully you get the gist as it works!

Parker231 · 01/01/2022 19:46

Our vet suggested coating the tablet in Philadelphia cheese - works every time.

Original poster
purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 19:48

I hadn't heard of this putty thing till now
I'll have a have a look

OP posts:
Original poster
purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 19:48

@Parker231

Our vet suggested coating the tablet in Philadelphia cheese - works every time.
He doesn't just lick the Philadelphia off it?
OP posts:
Parker231 · 01/01/2022 19:56

@purpleme12 - no - for some reason it doesn’t come off and the cat just swallows the coated tablet. Have tried different things over the years but this seems to work every time. Doesn’t work with DairyLea cheese as that does get licked off.

pollysshoe · 01/01/2022 19:56

Opening their mouth wide isn't necessary if you're syringing.

Stick the syringe into the corner of their mouth angled towards the throat and you should be able to prise it through their back teeth and squirt in the liquid.

With our old girl we found it easiest wrapping her in a towel before doing this.

Original poster
purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 19:58

@pollysshoe

Opening their mouth wide isn't necessary if you're syringing.

Stick the syringe into the corner of their mouth angled towards the throat and you should be able to prise it through their back teeth and squirt in the liquid.

With our old girl we found it easiest wrapping her in a towel before doing this.

So I should squirt downwards?
OP posts:
pollysshoe · 01/01/2022 20:10

What worked for us was holding the cat's head angled slightly upwards, and pointing the syringe towards the back of their throat/head before pressing the plunger. The syringe is parallel with the cat's lips, but poked in from one side.

You end up squirting the liquid down because of the angle of the cat's head, but the syringe itself is in line with the lips/teeth.

pollysshoe · 01/01/2022 20:12

This kind of describes it but we had to be more forceful to get the medication to stay in so tended to aim for the throat rather than tongue, which they advise against!

vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/giving-liquid-medication-to-cats

NewYearCalavicci · 01/01/2022 20:12

Watching for ideas with a great deal of interest as my cat now has the have
4 tablets a day for the next 5-days for two liquids for 3 days ShockConfused

BewareTheLibrarians · 01/01/2022 20:13

We do the syringe squirt too and it works ok, but you do need two people and an acceptance of possible death/mauling Smile

Our vet taught us to push a finger into the side of the cats mouth (the bit with short teeth) and kind of lever/push the jaw open, push the syringe in next to your finger and quickly squirt the medicine into the back of the mouth. Then duck in case they spit-shake it out Smile

Good luck!

Original poster
purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 20:13

It worries me that I wouldn't squirt it in right if you have to do it a certain way

OP posts:
SpookyScarySkeletons · 01/01/2022 20:16

@purpleme12

It worries me that I wouldn't squirt it in right if you have to do it a certain way
Seriously OP!! There's all these difficult suggestions when all you need to do is mix it with the cat yoghurt. Gosh it makes your life a million times easier!
Original poster
purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 20:20

@SpookyScarySkeletons
This particular medicine says it should only be squirted into the mouth rather than be put on food (if we go for liquid rather than tablet) which is why I was thinking....

OP posts:
Georgeskitchen · 01/01/2022 20:28

Liquid in a syringe is easiest, or ground up and hidden in a licke lix as posted earlier. I don't know who invented licke lix but they must be a genius 🤣🤣

ruthypfdraper · 01/01/2022 20:30

Cheap smoked salmon. The daily steroid tablets our cat needs can be squished into the flesh. She wolfs it down. Both cats got wise to pill pockets after a week.

BlueMoon23 · 01/01/2022 20:40

Lick e lix! If it's liquid you just squirt it in and mix it up. With a tablet, I crush it and mix it in. My cat loves the stuff and it is the easiest way to get meds in her.

WithASpider · 01/01/2022 21:08

I have a cat that I can hold like a baby for tablets. She comes running at the sight of the syringe too! The other one has to be wrapped and pinned down by my husband while I prise her teeth apart and chuck the tablet down her throat. She sulks afterwards too.

HappyFamiliesSeries2 · 01/01/2022 21:13

Is it Thyronorm? Our monster has been on it twice a day for almost a year.
To begin with one of us would catch her and hold her like a baby on her back (with limbs tucked in) whilst the other could hold her head and nudge the syringe into the side of her mouth.
But it turns out that she doesn't mind the flavour so now I can do it alone, either the 'baby' method as she doesn't struggle and will open her mouth. Or if she's in a good mood/ half asleep I can get it in when she's sitting or standing - but I have to be quick and squirt it in as soon as her mouth starts to open. Which all sounds absolutely filthy!

Original poster
purpleme12 · 01/01/2022 21:33

@HappyFamiliesSeries2

Is it Thyronorm? Our monster has been on it twice a day for almost a year. To begin with one of us would catch her and hold her like a baby on her back (with limbs tucked in) whilst the other could hold her head and nudge the syringe into the side of her mouth. But it turns out that she doesn't mind the flavour so now I can do it alone, either the 'baby' method as she doesn't struggle and will open her mouth. Or if she's in a good mood/ half asleep I can get it in when she's sitting or standing - but I have to be quick and squirt it in as soon as her mouth starts to open. Which all sounds absolutely filthy!
Yes that one That's interesting that you manage to do it then
OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 01/01/2022 21:38

Inside a treat - webbox sticks are good, soft enough to push a small tablet into the end of a segment. Give to cat, cat eats it.
Best for small tablets - thyroid meds or atenolol for example.

Whatsnextforus · 01/01/2022 23:33

Easy pill. It’s magic stuff

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