Place the towel or blanket on the table and spread it out. You will use the towel or blanket to wrap the cat up so it can’t move. You will also want to have a syringe (without a needle attached) full of water on hand if you are giving your cat a pill. This will help to wash down the pill. Keep the pill in your more dexterous hand. Get your arms at the same height as your cat.
Finally wrap the front of the towel around the cat’s back snugly. This should only leave the cat’s head sticking out. Make sure the material is snugly wrapped around the cat in order to keep legs and claws inside the material. Try and calm the cat if it is fighting you. Some cats will put up with being wrapped up extremely well, while others will fight you tremendously. Gauge your specific cat and judge whether you can wrap it and calm it down or if you just need to wrap it up right before you open its mouth.
Don’t just shove a pill down the back of your cat’s throat. The pill could accidentally enter the cat’s windpipe, causing choking. Conversely, damage could be done to the back of the throat if the pill is forced down the esophagus. [9] X Research source Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook. Eldredge, D. M, Carlson, D. G, Carlson, L. D Giffin, J. M. John Wiley & Sons. 2008
Use a syringe to place a small amount of water in the commissure between the lips to encourage the pill to “go down” the esophagus. This prevents the pill from irritating or “sticking” in the throat and damaging the tissues. DO NOT shoot the water down the back of the throat or the cat may inhale the water into its lungs.
