14 November 2005
Pilling the Cat
Good news from the vet: Sasha's latest blood test looks great, which means his current one-a-day pill dosage is doing the trick. Conveniently, he's a very cooperative cat who easily submits to pilling, sometimes even purring throughout the procedure. For those unfamiliar, I present my personal technique for pilling a cat:
- Choose a time and place where your cat is relaxed.
First thing in the morning works well for Sasha, after snuggling and before breakfast. - Get out the pill and place it on a table or counter, ideally with a slick surface.
This positions the cat at a convenient height and prevents him from getting traction if he struggles. - Place the cat on the table, facing away from you, with his ass under your arm.
This prevents him from backing up, which will be his first instinct when you mess with his face. - Tilt the cat's head all the way up while prying his jaws open.
Use two fingers on his upper jaw, behind the long fangs, and one finger on his lower jaw, between the long fangs. - Drop the pill onto the back of the cat's tongue where it meets his throat.
Placement is important. Do not drop it on the tip of his tongue or near his cheek; he won't swallow it. - Shut the cat's jaws and continue holding his head back.
Hold him steady until he swallows. - Release the cat's head (but don't let him leave yet). Watch the cat carefully.
Cats are sneaky! Make sure he doesn't spit out the pill. This is why I don't believe in the "hide the pill in the cat's food" method. - Give the cat a reward, such as praise or a treat.
For his cooperation, Sasha gets his coat smoothed, followed by a tasty breakfast.
There's another good cat-pilling tutorial with illustrations here. And this man appears to have a special cat-pilling tool that he demonstrates in a little video. And finally, I really enjoy old-school instructional graphics like this one.
