How to Give Your Cat a Tablet

In this guide

Medicating a cat can feel intimidating, but a calm, confident approach makes it far more manageable than most people expect.

The Basics

Before you start, ask your vet or check the packaging to confirm whether the tablet can be split, crushed, or given with food. Then choose whichever method is easiest for your particular cat, and go into it calmly and confidently. Have everything prepared in advance, give yourself plenty of time, stay gentle throughout, and avoid putting yourself at risk of a scratch or bite. A second person your cat trusts is a real help if you're administering the tablet directly rather than hiding it in food. If you hit a wall, your vet or vet nurse is always there to help.

Giving the Tablet With Food

First confirm the tablet is safe to give with food — some must be given this way, most can be, but a few should never be combined with food.

If it's safe:

• Withhold food for about 12 hours beforehand so your cat is genuinely hungry.
• Some tablets are flavoured to be palatable on their own — offer it from your fingertips rather than your palm. Many cats still won't take it voluntarily, though, since the taste or texture can be off-putting even when designed to be pleasant.
• For small tablets, try hiding them in a little of your cat's favourite soft food, cheese, soft meat, fish, or butter, making sure the tablet is fully concealed.
• Offer it in their usual bowl or by hand, whichever you prefer, then check they've actually swallowed the tablet before giving the rest of their meal.
• Crafty cats sometimes spit the tablet out or eat around it. If it's safe to crush (check first), mixing it thoroughly into a small amount of something strongly flavoured, like tinned fish in oil, tends to work well. A pill-crusher helps ensure it's fully broken down.

Giving the Tablet by Hand

If your cat won't take it voluntarily, you'll need to administer it directly. Gentle, secure restraint matters here, and having two people, one to hold and one to give the tablet, makes things much easier.

Restraining with your hands: Put your cat on a stable, non-slip surface such as the floor or a firm table. Let them sit upright facing away from you, then gently hold each front leg above the elbow with your hands pressed lightly against their sides — this keeps them upright and controls their paws and claws without causing distress.

Restraining with a towel: Especially useful for wriggly cats or if you're on your own. Lay a mid-sized towel flat, place your cat on top facing away from you, then wrap one side and then the other snugly around the neck so the front legs stay contained. Hold firmly but gently.

Administering the tablet: Hold the tablet between thumb and forefinger. Approach from the side rather than from above, which is less threatening. Place your other hand on top of the head, with thumb and forefinger extending down either side of the jaw near the corners of the mouth. Tilt the head gently upward and use your middle finger to pull the lower jaw open. With the head still tilted, place the tablet as far back on the tongue as you can reach — the further back, the harder it is for your cat to avoid swallowing it. Hold the jaw gently closed for a few seconds; a light rub under the chin can encourage swallowing, and lip-licking is usually a sign it's gone down. If your cat spits it out, you can try again calmly, as long as they're not becoming distressed.

If you're struggling at any point, contact your vet practice for guidance.

Tools That Make Life Easier

• A pill-giver, a syringe-like device with a soft nozzle and no needle, lets you deposit the tablet at the back of the tongue without putting your fingers near your cat's mouth. Practise with it first, and it works with gelatine capsules too.
• A pill-popper splits tablets neatly into halves or quarters — just confirm first that your particular tablet is safe to divide, since some coatings mean it must be given whole.
• Gelatine capsules let you combine several small tablet pieces into a single dose, which is handy if your cat needs more than one medication at once (always check with your vet before combining). A light smear of butter on the capsule can help it go down more easily.
• A pill-crusher reduces a tablet to a fine powder for mixing into tasty food, or into a little water or oil that can be drawn into a syringe and dribbled gently into the side of the mouth — check with your vet first, since this isn't suitable for every medication.

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